Survey and distribution of the Orchidaceae family on the ''Veredas do Cerrado'' farm, municipality of Buritis, Minas Gerais, Brasil (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Classified into more than twenty-five thousand species in the world, the Orchidaceae family is the largest among angiosperms, however, they are not plants found in abundance in their places of origin, and this fact may be related to the complexity of propagation, deterioration of the environment and uncontrolled extractivism. Orchids from the Savanna of Minas Gerais are threatened by deforestation for the creation of planting and pasture areas. Of the species found in the state of Minas Gerais, 98 are threatened with extinction. The objective of the study was to carry out a floristic survey of orchid species in an area of the savanna, in order to identify the species in the region, as well as the preferences, needs and abundance of each species. The survey of orchid species was carried out on the farm ‘’Veredas do Cerrado’’, municipality of Buritis, Minas Gerais, Brazil, between May and December 2020. Fortnightly field trips were carried out to search for orchid species. Of the specimens found, the plant part close to the flowering was photographed using a professional photographic camera (Canon), using objectives with long-range lenses (18-55 mm, 75-300 mm), in order to facilitate the identification of individuals. Six genera were registered and identified near the water bodies of the farm: ''Veredas do Cerrado'', in the municipality of: Buritis, MG, Brasil, and they are described here: Acianthera, Cattleya, Epidendrum, Gomesa, Habenaria, Zygostates.

Of these genera, species were identified: Gomesa fuscopetala (Hoehne) M.W. Chase & N.H. Williams, Gomesa macropetala (Lindl.) M.W. Chase & N.H. Williams, Encyclia patens Hook., Epidendrum densiflorum Hook., Epidendrum nocturnum Jacq., Epistephium williamsii Hook.f. It is concluded that despite the short period of sample collection, the records of the Orchidaceae family obtained in the surveys were significant, as there is a wealth of individuals in the area. Most of the specimens were not in flowering, therefore, they were not identified until the species taxon. Thus, new visits are being carried out, at different times of the year, to photograph the flowering of all species of the registered genera for their identification and cataloguing.