The Family Orchidaceae in the Serra do Japi, São Paulo state, Brazil

This study presents a floristic survey of orchid species occurring in the Serra do Japi in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The region studied is strategically placed in the transitional zone between interior semi-deciduous mesophytic forests and the Atlantic forest, presenting species from both formations and is characterized by semi-deciduous mesophytic forests, altitudinal forests and rocky outcrops. In the Serra do Japi the orchid family is represented by 125 species distributed among 61 genera. The most representative genus is Epidendrum, followed by Oncidium and Habenaria. Most of the species occur as epiphytes, while 40 species are terrestrial, 31 species are rupicolous, two are hemi-epiphytes and only one is myco-heterotrophic. Although the orchid diversity is high, the region has been affected by anthropogenic disturbances, making the preservation and integrated study of the diversity present in the Serra do Japi an urgent necessity, with social, economic and preservationist aspects.

Emerson R. Pansarin is an expert in vegetal biology. He is a professor at the São Paulo University (USP) in southeastern Brazil. His main research interests are systematics, phylogenetic relationships (based on morphological and molecular characters), reproductive biology and pollination systems of members of the orchid family and other aquatic monocotyledons, such as Alismataceae and Limnocharitaceae. Among Orchidaceae Professor Pansarin has focused his investigations on the subfamily Vanilloideae. His current projects include the investigation of systematics, biogeography and evolution of pollination systems in Vanilloideae, taxonomic revision of the genus Epistephium and a floristic survey of Orchidaceae occurring in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil.

Ludmila M. Pansarin is a Brazilian biologist and holds a Master in Botany. Currently she is a Ph.D. candidate in Campinas State University's Plant Biology program (São Paulo state, Brazil). Her main research interests include the investigation of reproductive biology, pollination systems and anatomy of secretory structures of orchid family members. Among Orchidaceae Ms. Pansarin has focused her investigations on Stanhopeinae, developing studies about the evolution of pollination systems among evolving members of this euglossine-pollinated subtribe. Furthermore, she has investigated the pollination and the reproductive biology of orchids pollinated by oil-collecting bees, such as Cyrtopodiinae and Oncidiinae, and has conducted a floristic survey of Orchidaceae occurring in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil.