A new breed of Butterfly-orchids are believed to be Europe's rarest orchid species, and scientists recently spotted them on a volcano in the Azores.
A research team identified these butterfly orchids as a "simple ,tractable system ideal for studying the origin of species," which prompted them to explore the nine Azorean islands in search of samples, a PeerJ news release reported.
The research team was led by "independent botanist Prof. Richard Bateman in collaboration with local botanist Dr. Mónica Moura (University of the Azores) and plant morphologist Dr. Paula Rudall (of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew)." The study is published under the title "Systematic revision of Platanthera in the Azorean archipelago: not one but three species, including arguably Europe's rarest orchid" in the journal PeerJ.
The team used a combination of field research and laboratory work to find that the butterfly orchids colonized the Azores from the Mediterranean as opposed to North America.
The researchers also used morphology, DNA, and root fungi identification to distinguish the widespread Short-spurred Butterfly-orchid (Platanthera pollostantha) from the more scarce Narrow-lipped Butterfly-orchid (P. micrantha).
The plot thickened when researchers discovered an even more unusual butterfly orchid breed on a high volcanic ridge in São Jorge.
"I immediately [recognized] the flowers as being exceptionally large for an Azorean butterfly-orchid and e-mailed images to Richard Bateman for confirmation that they were new to science," Moura said in the news release.
The team determined the exceptionally rare species, dubbed Platanthera azorica, emerged recently as a result of "large-flowered morphology" of the more widely known population.
The team found they were not the first to stumble upon the larger-than-usual flower species; the plant had been illustrated in the 1844 version of "Flora of the islands." It had never been recognized as its own species; until now.
"This remarkable species languished unrecognized for 173 years," Bateman said. "[Its] rediscovery and recognition beautifully illustrate the value of integrating field-based and laboratory-based approaches to generate a modern monograph. This methodology both demonstrates that the species is genuine and allows us to make informed recommendations for its future conservation."
