Natural history of the often-misunderstood Govenia utriculata (Orchidaceae): discovery of a Mexican population upsets West Indies endemism

Abstract

Govenia utriculata (Sw.) Lindl. has been pervasively confused in herbaria and the literature, despite showing both vegetative and florally distinctive attributes. Here we document for the first time its presence in Mexico, provide a description, a detailed drawing and color photographs from live flowering plants, and compare it with its congeners. All verifiable records indicate that G. utriculata is restricted to the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and now also Mexico; literature reports from elsewhere were based on misidentifications.