Rediscovery of Thismia caudata after 129 years and synopsis of other achlorophyllous herbs from the Pico do Marumbi State Park and buffer zone in Piraquara, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The Pico do Marumbi State Park is home to an evergreen ombrophilous forest with areas of transition to the Araucaria moist forest. In spite of the high diversity of life forms in the area, there are few studies of understory herbaceous plants. The present study reports the rediscovery for Brazil and the first record for Paraná state of an extremely rare species of Thismiaceae, Thismia caudata. The only record so far has been for the Rio de Janeiro state. In February 2021, T. caudata was discovered with fruit and flower. We also present other records of achlorophyllous herbaceous species that were occasionally found near the rediscovered Thismiaceae. In total, eight species belonging to five families are reported with descriptions of the morphology and natural environment, as well as phenological aspects. These are T. caudata, T. cordata, and T. panamensis (Thismiaceae); Langsdorffia hypogaea (Balanophoraceae); Voyria aphylla (Gentianaceae); Apteria aphylla and Gymnosiphon tenellus (Burmanniaceae); Triuris hyalina (Triuridaceae). In addition, we present the very first photographs of T. caudata.

Key words:
Atlantic Forest; holoparasite plant; mycoheterotrophic plant; Serra Marumbi