Aa achalensis

Aa achalensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Cranichideae
Genus:	Aa
Species:	A. achalensis
Binomial name
Aa achalensis Schltr., 1920

Aa achalensis is a species of orchid in the genus Aa.[1] They are found at high altitude in Argentina's Sierras de Córdoba.

Distribution and habitat

Endemic to parts of the Sierras de Córdoba in northern Argentina, Aa achalensis are most common between 1,500 to 2,500 metres (0.93 to 1.55 mi) above sea level,[2] though they are found as high 3,500 metres (2.2 mi).[3] The orchids grow in mountain forests and grasslands.[3] Like many orchids, they associate with fungal orchid mycorrhiza, but also with dark septate endophytes.[4]

Description

Aa achalensis grows between 20 and 30 centimetres (7.9 and 11.8 in) tall.[5]

Aa achalensis can be differentiated by its hairless rachises, scapes, and ovaries, a trait no other Argentinian Aa species possesses. They have small white raceme flowers. They flower in the summer, between September and December, and fruit until April.[3][5]

Taxonomy

Aa achalensis was first described from near Cerro Champaquí by Rudolf Schlechter, but the type specimen, housed in the Berlin Herbarium, was destroyed during the Second World War.[3]

Conservation

A 2004 paper assessing endemic plant species in Córdoba against the IUCN 1994 Red List categories classified Aa achalensis as "Vulnerable".[2]

References

1. "Aa achalensis Schltr. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
2. Vischi, N.; Natale, E.; Villamil, C. (2004-05-01). "Six endemic plant species from central Argentina: an evaluation of their conservation status" (PDF). Biodiversity & Conservation. 13 (5): 997–1008. doi:10.1023/B:BIOC.0000014465.31740.9b. ISSN 1572-9710.
3. Martín, Claudia M.; Zanotti, Christian A.; Scrocchi, Gustavo J. (2020-12-08). "Aa (Orchidaceae) of Southern Central Andes: Taxonomy, Nomenclature, and a New Species with Dark Flowers" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 45 (4): 760–766. doi:10.1600/036364420X16033962925178.
4. Fracchia, Sebastian; Aranda, Adriana; Gopar, Analia; Silvani, Vanesa; Fernandez, Laura; Godeas, Alicia (2009). "Mycorrhizal status of plant species in the Chaco Serrano Woodland from central Argentina". Mycorrhiza. 19 (3): 205–214. doi:10.1007/s00572-009-0231-8. ISSN 0940-6360.
5. Sebastián, Fracchia; Vanesa, Silvani; Eduardo, Flachsland; Graciela, Terada; Silvana, Sede (2014). "Symbiotic seed germination and protocorm development of Aa achalensis Schltr., a terrestrial orchid endemic from Argentina" (PDF). Mycorrhiza. 24 (1): 35–43. doi:10.1007/s00572-013-0510-2. ISSN 0940-6360.