Isabelia
Encyclopedia
Isabelia is an orchid genus formed by three tiny species and one natural hybrid, spread from Northeast of Brazil
to Argentina
, which are closely related to the genus Constantia
. During more than a century Isabelia was a genus formed by just one species, however, around 1968, it was merged with genus Neolauchea, also unispecific. In 2001, a third genus was added to it, Sophronitella.
or rarely rupicolous species that are just occasionally found but usually grow into large colonies, spread in Atlantic Forest of Brazil from north Bahia
to Rio Grande do Sul
, both in the humid slopes of Serra do Mar
and in the drier forests of Brazilian Plateau, from sea level to fifteen hundred meters of altitude; I. virginalis also found in Paraguay
and north of Argentina.
Isabelia pulchella exists from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, where it is more common growing epiphytically along the coastal montane areas. It is the Isabelia species exposed to the higher amount of constant humidity.
Isabelia violacea it the species that can be found farther north, from Bahia State to Rio Grande do Sul, where grows epiphytically and is also common inhabiting the streams banks open jungles of campos rupestres of Minas Gerais
and Bahia States at around eleven hundred meters of altitude occasionally as a rupicolous under full sunlight.
Isabelia virginalis in often found epiphytically in semi deciduous forest in São Paulo
and Paraná
from two to five hundred meters of altitude but can reach fifteen hundred in Minas Gerais mountains not rarely living as a lithophyte
at these elevations. It grows both on main stems and mid height and high branches of tree
s, where it is exposed to plenty of luminosity
, humidity
and ventilation.
Isabelia × pabstii, a natural hybrid of Isabelia pulchella and I. violacea, previously known as Isanitella × pabstii, is know from a collection only, in Paraná
State, South of Brazil, growing in the crevices and debris pockets of eroded sandstone outcroppings in Vila Velha
, near Ponta Grossa
. It has lavender pink flowers with whiter labellum.
; and erect apical inflorescence
bearing one of few flower
s. The flowers have petals, sepals and labellum of the same color, which can be white, pale pink or magenta. Their sepals are widely elliptical to ovate, the petals can be narrower and oblong or wider elliptic. The labellum is entire and oblong. The labellum may be entirely free of partially fused to the column forming a nectary. The column is stout and darker than the rest of the flower and may have four or eight pollinia.
All Isabelia species bloom from early autumn to early winter and their flowers last for about a week. Nothing is known about their pollinators. They have no known uses other than horticultural. Isabelia species are not very easy to cultivate. All species can be grown mounted on vegetable plaques and need plenty of humidity and ventilation and moderate to high luminosity. As these species resent from frequent repotting it is good to leave room enough to a five years period of development. Their roots should not be kept humid during the night so morning waterings are preferential.
, Rio de Janeiro
and sent to Europe by George Gardner, in 1837. At that time is was regarded as possibly a Maxillaria
species. Despite having been known for long time, for some unknown reason, Isabelia virginalis remained without a formal description and scientific name until 1877, when João Barbosa Rodrigues
found several specimens of it in Caldas
, Minas Gerais on the trees around jungle clearances. The name of this genus is an homage to Isabel, the Princess of Brazil
, the daughter of D. Pedro II, Emperor at the time Barbosa Rodrigues published his book.
The first Isabelia species to be formally described was Sophronitis violacea, by John Lindley
in 1840. It is a very short description where he mentions it does not have red flowers as the other Sophronitis species. In 1891, the Botanist Carl Kuntze proposed it should be better identified as Sophronia violacea. In 1925, Rudolf Schlechter suggested the new genus Sophronitella to classify this species. The names was a reference to the tiny size of the plant and flowers that resembled a smaller Sophronitis.
The last Isabelia species to be described was originally published by Friedrich Kraenzlin, in 1897, as Neolauchea pulchella in homage to Director Lauche of Liechtenstein Botanic Gardens. In 1905 Andre Porsch, probably not aware of previous description by Kraenzlin, described this species again as Meiracyllium wettsteinii. In 1968, Karheinz Senghas and H. Teuscher
suggested the combination of Neulauchea with Isabelia, however, because they did not mention the publication information of the basionym
, as required by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, their combination is considered invalid.
According to Cássio van den Berg, who studied their phylogeny, Isabelia
is closely related to Pseudolaelia
and Constantia
and all three form a sister clade to another small clade that includes Leptotes
and Loefgrenianthus. The two clades constitute Isabellia alliance, formed by plants that share stout columns, sometimes partially adnate to the labellum forming round nectaries, and is one of the eight clades of subtribus Laeliinae
. Therefore, in 2001, Cássio van den Berg and Mark W. Chase suggested the combination of Neolauchea and Sopronitella within Isabelia.
The former genus Neolauchea, whose only species is now Isabelia pulchella, is the only with elongated rhizome
, therefore, very spaced pseudobulbs, toped by a highly narrow and long concave leave that almost seems to be terete at first sight. Their ovaries become visibly swallowed at their junction to the column
foot where the base of the labellum
is partially fused forming a nectary. It has four pollinia.
Former Sophronitella species, now Isabelia violacea, is the largest species of Isabelia; with a short rhizome, more robust and erect pseudobulb
s, with an almost flat leathery leaf. This species is the only to show more than one flowers per inflorescence, up to three. It has the most opened flowers with sepals and petals of similar shape. The flower color and shape are remarkably constant in this species and just a few alba form specimens have been collect since it was discovered. It has a free labellum and eight pollinia.
The core Isabelia species, Isabelia virginalis, presents short reptant rhyzome with pseudobulbs of terete leaves, completely covered by dried stealths formed by a loose tissue of fibers interlaced as a rustic network. Their labelli are partially fused to the column forming a nectary. Their flowers always are pale pink, almost white, and have eight pollinia.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, which are closely related to the genus Constantia
Constantia
- People :* Flavia Julia Constantia, daughter of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Flavia Maximiana Theodora* Flavia Maxima Constantia, daughter of Constantius II and his third wife Faustina...
. During more than a century Isabelia was a genus formed by just one species, however, around 1968, it was merged with genus Neolauchea, also unispecific. In 2001, a third genus was added to it, Sophronitella.
Distribution
Isabelia are epiphyteEpiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
or rarely rupicolous species that are just occasionally found but usually grow into large colonies, spread in Atlantic Forest of Brazil from north Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
to Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, both in the humid slopes of Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
and in the drier forests of Brazilian Plateau, from sea level to fifteen hundred meters of altitude; I. virginalis also found in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and north of Argentina.
Isabelia pulchella exists from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, where it is more common growing epiphytically along the coastal montane areas. It is the Isabelia species exposed to the higher amount of constant humidity.
Isabelia violacea it the species that can be found farther north, from Bahia State to Rio Grande do Sul, where grows epiphytically and is also common inhabiting the streams banks open jungles of campos rupestres of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
and Bahia States at around eleven hundred meters of altitude occasionally as a rupicolous under full sunlight.
Isabelia virginalis in often found epiphytically in semi deciduous forest in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
from two to five hundred meters of altitude but can reach fifteen hundred in Minas Gerais mountains not rarely living as a lithophyte
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....
at these elevations. It grows both on main stems and mid height and high branches of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, where it is exposed to plenty of luminosity
Luminosity
Luminosity is a measurement of brightness.-In photometry and color imaging:In photometry, luminosity is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to luminance, which is the density of luminous intensity in a given direction. The SI unit for luminance is candela per square metre.The luminosity function...
, humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
and ventilation.
Isabelia × pabstii, a natural hybrid of Isabelia pulchella and I. violacea, previously known as Isanitella × pabstii, is know from a collection only, in Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
State, South of Brazil, growing in the crevices and debris pockets of eroded sandstone outcroppings in Vila Velha
Vila Velha
Vila Velha is a coastal town in Espírito Santo, Brazil. It lies across from Vitória, the state capital. Its population was 396,323 and its area is 208.82 km².Vila Velha forms part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan area...
, near Ponta Grossa
Ponta Grossa
Ponta Grossa is a city in the state of Paraná, Brazil. With a population of over 315,000 inhabitants, it is the 4th most populous city of Paraná.It is the second industrial pole of the State, exceeded only by Curitiba—the State's capital and largest city...
. It has lavender pink flowers with whiter labellum.
Description
Isabelia have unifoliated ovoid to fusiform pseudobulbs; linear or acicular leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
; and erect apical inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bearing one of few flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. The flowers have petals, sepals and labellum of the same color, which can be white, pale pink or magenta. Their sepals are widely elliptical to ovate, the petals can be narrower and oblong or wider elliptic. The labellum is entire and oblong. The labellum may be entirely free of partially fused to the column forming a nectary. The column is stout and darker than the rest of the flower and may have four or eight pollinia.
All Isabelia species bloom from early autumn to early winter and their flowers last for about a week. Nothing is known about their pollinators. They have no known uses other than horticultural. Isabelia species are not very easy to cultivate. All species can be grown mounted on vegetable plaques and need plenty of humidity and ventilation and moderate to high luminosity. As these species resent from frequent repotting it is good to leave room enough to a five years period of development. Their roots should not be kept humid during the night so morning waterings are preferential.
Taxonomic notes
The first species of Isabelia to be discovered was I. virginalis. It was collected in Serra dos ÓrgãosSerra dos Órgãos
Serra dos Órgãos is a mountain range in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was turned into a national park in 1939. It is located about a one-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
and sent to Europe by George Gardner, in 1837. At that time is was regarded as possibly a Maxillaria
Maxillaria
Maxillaria, abbreviated as Max in horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids . This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely....
species. Despite having been known for long time, for some unknown reason, Isabelia virginalis remained without a formal description and scientific name until 1877, when João Barbosa Rodrigues
João Barbosa Rodrigues
João Barbosa Rodrigues was a Brazilian botanist and engineer.He was born in São Gonçalo do Sapucaí and raised in Campanha, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He returned to Rio de Janeiro with his family in 1858. He first dedicated to the commerce, but he was always interested in natural...
found several specimens of it in Caldas
Caldas
Caldas may refer to:*Çaldaş, Azerbaijan* Caldas Department, in Colombia.* Caldas, Antioquia, a town in Antioquia, Colombia.* Caldas, Minas Gerais, a town in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil...
, Minas Gerais on the trees around jungle clearances. The name of this genus is an homage to Isabel, the Princess of Brazil
Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira
Infanta Isabel Luísa of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta and the sole daughter of King Peter II of Portugal and his first wife and former sister-in-law Maria Francisca of Savoy. As such she was styled Princess of Beira...
, the daughter of D. Pedro II, Emperor at the time Barbosa Rodrigues published his book.
The first Isabelia species to be formally described was Sophronitis violacea, by John Lindley
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
in 1840. It is a very short description where he mentions it does not have red flowers as the other Sophronitis species. In 1891, the Botanist Carl Kuntze proposed it should be better identified as Sophronia violacea. In 1925, Rudolf Schlechter suggested the new genus Sophronitella to classify this species. The names was a reference to the tiny size of the plant and flowers that resembled a smaller Sophronitis.
The last Isabelia species to be described was originally published by Friedrich Kraenzlin, in 1897, as Neolauchea pulchella in homage to Director Lauche of Liechtenstein Botanic Gardens. In 1905 Andre Porsch, probably not aware of previous description by Kraenzlin, described this species again as Meiracyllium wettsteinii. In 1968, Karheinz Senghas and H. Teuscher
Teuscher
Teuscher is a Swiss chocolatier, headquartered in Zurich, with a store on Bahnhofstrasse and its flagship a few blocks away in the old city centre in a shop built in 1647. Founded in 1932 by Adolf Teuscher, Sr. , Teuscher is now run by Dolf Teuscher, Jr...
suggested the combination of Neulauchea with Isabelia, however, because they did not mention the publication information of the basionym
Basionym
Basionym is a term used in botany, regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
, as required by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, their combination is considered invalid.
According to Cássio van den Berg, who studied their phylogeny, Isabelia
Isabelia
Isabelia is an orchid genus formed by three tiny species and one natural hybrid, spread from Northeast of Brazil to Argentina, which are closely related to the genus Constantia. During more than a century Isabelia was a genus formed by just one species, however, around 1968, it was merged with...
is closely related to Pseudolaelia
Pseudolaelia
Pseudolaelia is a small genus belonging to the orchid family . The abbreviation used in the horticultural trade is Pdla.- Description :...
and Constantia
Constantia
- People :* Flavia Julia Constantia, daughter of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Flavia Maximiana Theodora* Flavia Maxima Constantia, daughter of Constantius II and his third wife Faustina...
and all three form a sister clade to another small clade that includes Leptotes
Leptotes (orchid)
Leptotes, abbreviated Lpt in horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids formed by nine small species that grow in the dry jungles of south and southeast Brazil, and also in Paraguay or Argentina...
and Loefgrenianthus. The two clades constitute Isabellia alliance, formed by plants that share stout columns, sometimes partially adnate to the labellum forming round nectaries, and is one of the eight clades of subtribus Laeliinae
Laeliinae
Laeliinae is a Neotropical subtribe including 40 orchid genera, such as Brassavola, Laelia, Sophronitis, and Cattleya. The genus Epidendrum is the largest within this subtribe, containing about 1500 species...
. Therefore, in 2001, Cássio van den Berg and Mark W. Chase suggested the combination of Neolauchea and Sopronitella within Isabelia.
Species
Although the three species of Isabelia share several morphological characteristics, they are highly different from each other and very easy to identify, both through the vegetative qualities or from particularities on their flowers. Despite all species today are subordinated to the same genus, many orchid collectors and some taxonomists prefer the former names. The reason to unify the genera was to make clear their close relationship and to reduce the number of accepted genera, however, the use of former genera names does not imply in any inconvenience towards phylogenetic classification and does not create polyphyletic genera.The former genus Neolauchea, whose only species is now Isabelia pulchella, is the only with elongated rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
, therefore, very spaced pseudobulbs, toped by a highly narrow and long concave leave that almost seems to be terete at first sight. Their ovaries become visibly swallowed at their junction to the column
Column (botany)
The column, or technically the gynostemium, is a reproductive structure that can be found in several plant families: Aristolochiaceae, Orchidaceae, and Stylidiaceae....
foot where the base of the labellum
Labellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
is partially fused forming a nectary. It has four pollinia.
Former Sophronitella species, now Isabelia violacea, is the largest species of Isabelia; with a short rhizome, more robust and erect pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s, with an almost flat leathery leaf. This species is the only to show more than one flowers per inflorescence, up to three. It has the most opened flowers with sepals and petals of similar shape. The flower color and shape are remarkably constant in this species and just a few alba form specimens have been collect since it was discovered. It has a free labellum and eight pollinia.
The core Isabelia species, Isabelia virginalis, presents short reptant rhyzome with pseudobulbs of terete leaves, completely covered by dried stealths formed by a loose tissue of fibers interlaced as a rustic network. Their labelli are partially fused to the column forming a nectary. Their flowers always are pale pink, almost white, and have eight pollinia.