Archivea
| Archivea | |
|---|---|
| |
| T. Duncanson's 1823 watercolour illustration, later described as Archivea kewensis | |
CITES Appendix II
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Cymbidieae |
| Subtribe: | Stanhopeinae |
| Genus: | Archivea Christenson & Jenny |
| Species: | A. kewensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Archivea kewensis Christenson & Jenny
| |
Archivea is a monotypic genus of orchids containing only the species Archivea kewensis. Known only from a 1823 watercolour illustration, it was described in 1996 by botanists Eric A. Christenson and Rudolf Jenny. It is believed to be native to Brazil, however, it has yet to be documented beyond the original 1823 illustration.
Taxonomy and history
[edit]A live specimen of the plant later described as Archivea kewensis was brought from Brazil to the United Kingdom in 1816, coming into the possession of amateur botanist W.R. Price. A watercolour illustration of this plant, painted by T. Duncanson and dated 29 July 1823, would form the sole basis of the species' scientific description over 150 years later.[2][3] The illustration would come to be held in the collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where it would be examined and annotated by German orchidologist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. Reichenbach's note reads "Videtur Warmingia Rchb.f. g. aff. Notyliae brasiliense, Rchb.f.", alluding to a perceived similarity between the plant in the illustration and the Oncidiinae genus Warmingia.[2]
The genus Archivea and sole species A. kewensis were described by botanists Eric A. Christenson and Rudolf Jenny in the May 1996 issue of Orchids, the magazine of the American Orchid Society.[2][4][5] Christenson and Jenny's description would be translated into Brazilian Portuguese for publication in the Brazilian magazine Revista Orquidário, in the interest of raising awareness of this species among Brazilian orchid collectors and researchers.[6] The 1823 watercolour illustration represents the type and only specimen. No measurements of the plant were recorded and no other specimens, living or pressed, are known.[2][3] The generic and specific epithets reference the location of the type specimen in the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[2][7] Though DNA analysis was not possible, Christenson and Jenny placed it in the subtribe Stanhopeinae based on morphological characteristics.[2][3]
Description
[edit]Archivea kewensis is described as resembling Cirrhaea species in habit, with flowers most similar to Horichia dressleri. The pseudobulbs, ovoid in shape and deeply vertically ribbed, each bear a single plicate leaf. Dry bracts persist around the bases of the pseudobulbs. The leaf blade is lanceolate with a pointed tip, measuring approximately three times the length of the petiole. The inflorescence arises from the base of the plant but grows upright, bearing around 10 flowers and two bracts near the base. The flowers are white, with the petals and sepals becoming yellowish towards the tips. The sepals are broadly lanceolate with pointed tips, with the lateral sepals being slightly slanted while the dorsal sepal is concave. The petals are linear-lanceolate with pointed tips, approximately two thirds the length and half the width of the sepals. The labellum is split into three lobes, with the upwards curved oblanceolate middle lobe being four times the length of the linear-lanceolate side lobes. The side lobes are fused around the base of the mid lobe, forming a keel. The column is short and straight with the clinandrium positioned at a right angle on the end of the column. The ovary is circular. The pollinarium and fruit have not been documented.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Archivea kewensis Christenson & Jenny, 1996". Species+. UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Christenson, E.A.; Jenny, R. (1996). "Archivea". Orchids. Vol. 65, no. 5. West Palm Beach, Florida: American Orchid Society. pp. 496–499. ISSN 0003-0252. OCLC 34000653.
- ^ a b c Whitten, W. Mark; Williams, Norris H.; Chase, Mark W. (2000). "Subtribal and generic relationships of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae) with emphasis on Stanhopeinae: combined molecular evidence". American Journal of Botany. 87 (12): 1842–1856. doi:10.2307/2656837. ISSN 0002-9122. LCCN 17005518. OCLC 475054649.
- ^ "Archivea Christenson & Jenny". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ "Archivea kewensis Christenson & Jenny". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ Christenson, E.A.; Jenny, R. (1996). "Archivea Christenson & Jenny, um gênero perdido do Brasil (Orchidaceae: Stanhopeinae)" [Archivea Christenson & Jenny, a lost genus of Brasil (Orchidaceae: Stanhopeinae)]. Revista Orquidário (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 10, no. 2. Translated by Waldegar Scheliga. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: OrquidaRio Orquidófilos Associados. pp. 37–40. ISSN 0103-6750. OCLC 43840881.
- ^ Boyce, Peter C.; Yeng, Wong Sin (2011). "Lost Aroids: On the taxonomic importance of relocating poorly collected species". Malayan Nature Journal. 63 (4): 613–623. ISSN 0025-1291. OCLC 499922393 – via ResearchGate.