The genus Lachemilla (Rosaceae) in the northern Andes of South America

Abstract

The genus Lachemilla consists of approximately 80 species distributed in the western high mountains of the neotropics, from Southern California to northern Chile and Argentina, between 2000-5000 masl. Between Venezuela and Ecuador 36 species (45%) have been recorded, mostly in the paramos, apparently this region is the center of diversity of Lachemilla. Some species prefer special habitats; however, most of them are found in different types of paramos or high Andean forests, there is not an evident difference between the habitats where the ancestral species, and the habitats of the species considered more derived.