Morphological and genetic evidence support the reinstatement of the long-forgotten Telipogon teuscheri (Orchidaceae, Oncidiinae) from southwestern Ecuador

Telipogon teuscheri, a rare orchid species from southwestern Ecuador, was described by Garay in 1958, but has long been forgotten after being placed in synonymy with T. tesselatus by Dodson in 1989. Revision of type material, herbarium specimens, field observations, and collecting itineraries, along with genetic analyses, has revealed that T. teuscheri is morphologically and genetically distinct from T. tesselatus. Furthermore, our revision of herbarium material and iconography indicates that T. isabelae, described by Dodson in 2004, is conspecific with T. teuscheri and should be treated as a synonym, thereby resolving a long-standing taxonomic confusion.

We present a detailed morphological description, illustrations, a distribution map, the phylogenetic position, and notes on habitat, phenology, and conservation status of T. teuscheri.