Genes, morphology and biology – The systematics of Orchidinae revisited
(2008) Journal of European Orchids — Vol. 40, n° 3, p. 501-544 (2008)
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- Abstract
- The genus Orchis in the “traditional” sense is well known since long ago for its heterogeneity, with respect to clearly identifiable characteristics such as the chromosome number and demographic aspects, i.e., the pattern of possible hybridizations among representatives of certain parts of the genus as well as with representatives of some distinct genera. Four sections can be identified in this way, i.e., Platycheilae, Dipterocheilae, Orchis and Galericulatae. More recently molecular phylogenetics has shed new light on the relationships of those sections with allied genera, leading scientists to incorporate the sections Platycheilae and Galericulatae within the genera Anacamptis and Neotinea, respectively, while maintaining the other two sections inside Orchis. We discuss those standpoints by taking analogies in neighbouring genera of Orchidinae (i.e. the recent merging of the genera Coeloglossum and Nigritella with Dactylorhiza and Gymnadenia, respectively), as well as in the recent proposal to incorporate the chimpanzees into the genus Homo. While the splitting of former Orchis is undoubtedly justified, several sound morphological and biological arguments would prevent us from accepting the aforementioned fusions and incorporations; on the other hand, the two sections Dipterocheilae and Orchis deserve to be separated as well. Therefore we propose to split the former genus Orchis into four genera, corresponding to the four sections, with the names Herorchis, Androrchis, Orchis s.str. and Odontorchis, respectively. The first and the last of these genera are maintained distinct from the genera Anacamptis and Neotinea. Hopefully those proposals can meet the agreement of the orchidologist community.
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Citations
Tyteca, D., & Klein, E. (2008). Genes, morphology and biology – The systematics of Orchidinae revisited. Journal of European Orchids, 40(3), 501-544. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/153566 (Original work published 2008)