Laelia is an endemic genus of the neotropical region, with the greatest richness occurring in Mexico. A recent phylogenetic study transferred some Mexican laelias to the genus Schomburgkia, which has generated debate. The aim of the present study was to analyze the patterns of species richness and endemism and the current and potential geographic distributions of the taxa of Laelia s.l., as well as the putative Laelia s.s., distributed in Mexico as part of an exploratory evaluation of the generic limits to sheds light on the taxonomic debate and generate baselines to guide conservation efforts. A database was generated with information from herbarium specimens and publications. The species richness was estimated by political division, biomes, and elevation. The endemism was analyzed by political division and using the weighted and corrected weighted endemism indices. Geographic data, climatic, and topographic variables were used to predict the distributions with the maximum entropy algorithm. The results supported the proposal to transfer some species to the genus Schomburgkia. Some areas of the Sierra Madre del Sur and Oriental should be included as priority areas in the conservation strategies of Laelia. This study highlights the importance of the taxonomy, distribution, and hotspots in diversity conservation.
Keywords: conservation; neotropics; orchids; potential distribution models; taxonomy.