Article

Francisco-Gutiérrez, A., E. Ruiz-Sanchez, and A. Lira-Noriega. 2023. Biogeografía y evaluaciones de conservación de las especies de Lamourouxia (Orobanchaceae). Acta Botanica Mexicana. https://doi.org/10.21829/abm130.2023.2213

Background and Aims: Parasitic plants represent approximately 1% of the world’s angiosperm diversity. The highest richness of parasitic plant species among angiosperms belongs to Orobanchaceae, the only family with three main nutritional stages: autotrophic, hemiparasitic, and holoparasitic. Hemiparasitic genera are the most diverse, unstudied, and sometimes neglected within Orobanchaceae. Pedicularideae, the largest tribe of hemiparasitic taxa in Orobanchaceae, contains several poorly known genera. One of these is Lamourouxia, a genus of 30 species distributed throughout the Americas, but mostly endemic to Mexico. Due to the lack of knowledge about the biogeographic patterns, ende-mism, and conservation status of Lamourouxia species, the objectives of this study were to estimate their species richness and endemism, determine the areas of endemismin the Americas, and assess their conservation status.Methods: Applying a taxonomic revision of physical and digitized herbaria specimens, citizen science observations, and scientific open access databases, we conducted biogeo-graphic analyses for the whole genus. Moreover, the conservation status of all Lamourouxia species was assessed following the IUCN Red List guidelines.Key results: The highest species richness, highest weighted endemism, and corrected weighted endemism values occurred in southern Mexico. Three areas of endemicity were distributed throughout western Mexico. Four species were classified as Endangered (EN), and three as Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN risk categories. Endemic and rarely recorded Lamourouxia species were mostly distributed in unprotected areas in the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico.Conclusions: The Mexican Transition Zone is the center of diversification of Lamourouxia, and one third of the genus is endemic to this region. It is strongly encouraged to carry out actions to conserve threatened species of Lamourouxia, which are distributed in the Sierra Madre del Sur, the biogeographic province with the highest number of endemic species in Mexico.

Collected Asteraceae and identified Geraniaceae

Collected Melastomataceae and identified Melastomataceae

Erik Asplund

October 09, 1888 – July 30, 1974

Sweden

Poaceae

Collected Poaceae and identified Poaceae

Paul Rodolphe Joseph Bamps

February 06, 1932 – February 28, 2019

Belgium

Rubiaceae

Collected Rubiaceae and identified Fabaceae

Fred Alexander Barkley

November 04, 1908 – June 24, 1989

United States

Asteraceae

Collected Asteraceae and identified Anacardiaceae

Collected Fabaceae and identified Fabaceae

Collected Asteraceae and identified Asteraceae

Collected Cichlidae

Collected Fabaceae and identified Euphorbiaceae

Maarten J. M. Christenhusz

United Kingdom; Netherlands; Finland; Australia

Solanaceae

Collected Solanaceae and identified Plantaginaceae

Mireya D. Correa
Mireya D. Correa

February 06, 1940 – November 22, 2022

Panama

Rubiaceae

Collected Rubiaceae and identified Droseraceae

Collected Araceae and identified Araceae

Calaway H. Dodson

December 17, 1928 – August 09, 2020

United States

Orchidaceae

Collected Orchidaceae and identified Orchidaceae

Finn Ervik

Norway

Moraceae

Collected Moraceae and identified Moraceae

EFRAIN FREIRE

Ecuador

Rubiaceae

Collected Rubiaceae and identified Asteraceae

Collected Melastomataceae and identified Euphorbiaceae

Collected Polygalaceae and identified Melastomataceae

Hernando García-Barriga

November 30, 1913 – January 01, 2005

Colombia

Asteraceae

Collected Asteraceae and identified Poaceae

Alwyn Howard Gentry
Alwyn Howard Gentry

January 06, 1945 – August 03, 1993

United States

Bignoniaceae

Collected Bignoniaceae and identified Bignoniaceae

Aimé Bonpland
Aimé Bonpland

August 29, 1773 – May 10, 1858

France

Asteraceae

Collected Asteraceae and identified Poaceae

Collected Araceae and identified Araceae

Collected Pteridaceae and identified Pteridaceae

Collected Eriocaulaceae and identified Eriocaulaceae

Hugh Iltis
Hugh Iltis

April 07, 1925 – December 19, 2016

Czechoslovakia; United States of America

Poaceae

Collected Poaceae and identified Poaceae

Collected Passifloraceae and identified Passifloraceae

Collected Fabaceae and identified Fabaceae

Collected Melastomataceae and identified Melastomataceae

Collected Fabaceae and identified Fabaceae

Bernt Løjtnant

1946 – 2020

Orchidaceae

Collected Orchidaceae and identified Orchidaceae

Andrew Mathews

1801 – 1841

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Orchidaceae

Collected Orchidaceae