UNA REVISIÓN DEL COMPLEJO LOPHIARIS CAVENDISHIANA (ORCHIDACEAE: ONCIDIINAE

The Lophiaris cavendishiana complex consists of L. bicallosa, L. cavendishiana, L. chrysops, and L. pachyphylla. These species are mainly characterized by the large (30,0- 45,0 mm in diameter), yellow flowers and their restricted distribution to the mountain ranges of central and southern Mexico and northern Central America (at elevations between 800 and 2800 m), usually associated to cloud forests, pine-oak forests, and evergreen cloud forests. However, the species are similar to each other in their vegetative and floral morphology, making the species circumscription and the limits of their geographical distribution difficult, particularly of L. cavendishiana and L. pachphylla. The goal of this contribution is to understand the morphological variation of these four species to clarify their identities and define the limits of their geographical distribution. We present a taxonomic revision, which includes an identification key to the species, distribution maps, nomenclatural updates, descriptions, diagnostic characters, as well as information on their distribution and ecology, taxonomic comments, list of examined material and conservation status based on the UICN and MER criteria. The main morphological characters to distinguish species of the complex were the size and shape of the lateral lobes of the labellum, length and width of the central lobe of the labellum, and the shape, position and number of teeth of the callus of the labellum.