Catasetum × humaitaense (Orchidaceae: Catasetinae), a new nothospecies from the Brazilian Amazon

This article proposes and describes a new nothospecies of Catasetum discovered in the igapó forest surrounding Lake Carapanatuba,located on the banks of the Madeira River, approximately 85 km from the city of Humaitá, Brazil. The hybrid exhibits intermediate characteristics of its putative parents, Catasetum boyi and Catasetum ivaneae. Detailed information on its distribution, habitat, ecology, and phenology is provided, along with an identification key.

The discovery of Catasetum × humaitaense as a natural hybrid offers valuable insight into natural selection and evolutionary processes, as it can breed or backbreed with its parental species, generating offspring with genetic and phenotypic variation important for environmental adaptation.