'Epidendrum katarun-yariku' is described as a new species of Orchidaceae native to the summits and upper slopes of the sandstone tabletop mountains (tepuis) in the Guiana Highlands in South America.

This new orchid has white blossoms and a tall stem. The species is believed to live within an area of less than 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) and meets the criteria to be considered “vulnerable to extinction” under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.

Members of the Pemón Arekuna Indigenous community of Paruima named the species in their native language. The researcher who described the new orchid, Mateusz Wrazidlo, advocates for “de-colonizing science nomenclature and giving more representation to Indigenous and local languages.”

In the Arekuna language, 'katarun' means high and 'yariku' means flower. The specific epithet was chosen because the species occurs on the peaks and upper foothills of tepuis.

he Pemon language is an indigenous language of the Cariban family spoken by some 30,000 Pemon people, in Venezuela's Southeast, particularly in the Canaima National Park, in the Roraima State of Brazil and in Guyana. It covers several dialects, including Arecuna (or Arekuna), Camaracota, Camaracoto, Ingariko (or Ingarikó), Taulipang, and Taurepan (Camaracoto may be a distinct language).

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