The Genus Vanilla (Orchidaceae) in South America—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru: An Annotated Checklist with a New Species

Abstract

The diversity of Vanilla Mill. in Andean South American countries remains significantly understudied, highlighting the urgent need for a robust taxonomic framework as a foundation for future biogeographic, monographic, phylogenetic, and ecological research. Drawing on extensive herbarium studies and fieldwork conducted by the authors over the past decade, we present a curated checklist of this economically important genus in South America, focused on the Andean countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Our review records 31 Vanilla species across the four countries, with Colombia emerging as the most species rich, followed by Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Among this diversity, we identified 25 species of potential interest as crop wild relatives of the globally cultivated V. planifolia Andrews. Moreover, we report several species not previously documented in our study area, including a new species from Ecuador, which we describe here as V. sekut Damián, Garzón & Bentley. As part of our extensive herbarium and literature revision, we also designate six lectotypes, one neotype, and four epitypes. This checklist provides a critical baseline for future monographic and evolutionary studies on Vanilla in South America, offering valuable insights into its biodiversity and potential for agricultural and ecological applications.