Abstract

GARCIA-GONZALEZ, Alfredo  and  DAMON, Anne. Abundance, distribution within phorophytes and fruit production of the first population of Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae), discovered in Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2013, vol.84, n.3, pp.894-900. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.33703.

The phorophytes distribution was studied and the fruit production of the 46 Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae) plants, recently registered in Mexico by Solano et al. (2011), was detailed. The coffee plantation was characterized, the life stages of every orchid plant (immature and adult), the vertical distribution (trunk, forks, branches, twigs) and the orientation they had in the phorophytes were determined. From T. helleri plants, the 97.83% are adults, what suggests there is recruiting limitation. A number of 10 T. helleri plants grew up over coffee bushes (21.74% of the total) and 36 of the same species occupied shade trees (78.26%). Considering coffee bushes and shade trees, the 73.92% of the population (34 plants) grew up in the trunk. The 78.26% of the plants was between 2.1-4 m of height. A quantity of 51 inflorescences with 181 flowers was assessed, from which the 23.76% formed fruits (43 fruits). Telipogon helleri still has a very incipient and located population, that is why it is essential to monitor it in order to see what its behavior might be in future and to evaluate its relationship with the rest of vascular epiphytes present in the coffe agroecosystem.

Keywords : coffee bush; Inga micheliana; epiphytic orchid; vertical distribution; life class; pollination.