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Issue: Vol. 778 No. 3: 9 Oct. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-10-09
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.778.3.1
Page range: 201-224
Abstract views: 17
PDF downloaded: 0

Taxonomic revision of Orphanodendron (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae), a new species and redefined morphological and geographical boundariesTaxonomic revision of Orphanodendron (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae), a new species and redefined morphological and geographical boundaries

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal; Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Rua Monteiro Lobato; 255; 13083-862; Campinas; São Paulo; Brazil; Grupo de Investigación Biología para la Conservación; Facultad de Ciencias; UPTC; Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; Avenida Central del Norte No. 39-115; 150003; Tunja; Boyacá; Colombia
Fundación Jardín Botánico de Medellín; Herbario (JAUM); Calle 73; # 51d-14; Medellín; Colombia
Herbario Universidad de Antioquia (HUA) y Grupo de Estudios Botánicos (GEOBOTA); Instituto de Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Antioquia; Medellín; Colombia; Herbario Gabriel Gutiérrez Villegas (MEDEL) y Semillero en estudios taxonómicos de plantas de Colombia; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Medellín; Colombia
Herbario Universidad de Antioquia (HUA) y Grupo de Estudios Botánicos (GEOBOTA); Instituto de Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Antioquia; Medellín; Colombia; Herbario Gabriel Gutiérrez Villegas (MEDEL) y Semillero en estudios taxonómicos de plantas de Colombia; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Medellín; Colombia
Grupo de Investigaciones GEASID; UNISANGIL; Fundación Universitaria de San Gil; San Gil; Colombia
Center for Biodiversity and Evolution; New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd.; Bronx; NY; 10458-5126; USA
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro; DIPEQ; Rua Pacheco Leão 915; Jardim Botânico; 22460-030; Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro; Brazil
Eudicots Andean Flora Endangered Flora Fabaceae Floral of Colombia Genistoid Clade Magdalena Valley Flora Non-papilionoid flower

Abstract

Orphanodendron is a Neotropical genus of trees endemic to northern Colombia. It is characterized by white, non-papilionoid corollas, 15–25 stamens, and conspicuous dormant buds protected by cataphylls. The genus is placed in the Genistoid clade, an early-diverging lineage within Papilionoideae, but its precise phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved. The discovery of distinct morphotypes and new collections, together with a review of previous studies, revealed gaps in morphological descriptions, overlap in diagnostic characters, and issues concerning typification and nomenclature. With these findings, we present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Orphanodendron based on evidence from herbarium specimens and field expeditions. The revision recognizes a new species, known mainly from forests of the lower Cauca River basin on the northern slope of the Cordillera Central, at 229–680 m elevation, with a single tentatively assigned collection from the Samaná River drainage on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central. The new species differs from the other species of the genus mainly in having larger and more rounded dormant buds and cataphylls. The revision also allows a more precise delimitation of the morphological and geographical boundaries of the two varieties of Orphanodendron grandiflorum. Lectotypes are designated for Orphanodendron bernalii and O. grandiflorum. In addition to differences in dormant bud morphology, the two varieties differ in the morphology of their floral bracts and bracteoles. Finally, the name O. grandiflorum var. digitatum is corrected in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.

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How to Cite

Alvarado-Reyes, A., Zapata-Correa, D., Trujillo-López, A.M., Londoño-Echeverri, Y., Castellanos, C., Torke, B.M. & Mansano, V.D.F. (2026) Taxonomic revision of Orphanodendron (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae), a new species and redefined morphological and geographical boundariesTaxonomic revision of Orphanodendron (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae), a new species and redefined morphological and geographical boundaries. Phytotaxa 778 (3): 201–224. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.778.3.1