The Pleurothallidinae are a neotropical subtribe of plants of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) including 29 genera in more than 4000 species.
Cypripedioideae is a subfamily of orchids commonly known as lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids. Cypripedioideae includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium. They are characterised by the slipper-shaped pouches of the flowers – the pouch traps insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia, thus fertilizing the flower. There are approximately 165 species in the subfamily.
Zygopetalum is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae), consisting of fourteen currently recognized species.
Oncidium, abbreviated as Onc. in the horticultural trade, is a genus that, as of December 2023, contains about 340 species of orchids from the subtribe Oncidiinae of the orchid family Orchidaceae. It is distributed across tropical and subtropical America from Mexico, Central America and the West Indies to northern Argentina, with one species (O. ensatum) extending into Florida. Common names for plants in this genus include dancing-lady orchid and golden shower orchid.
Laelia is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Laelia species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. Laelia is abbreviated L. in the horticultural trade.
The taxonomy of the Orchidaceae (orchid family) has evolved slowly during the last 250 years, starting with Carl Linnaeus who in 1753 recognized eight genera. De Jussieu recognized the Orchidaceae as a separate family in his Genera Plantarum in 1789. Olof Swartz recognized 25 genera in 1800. Louis Claude Richard provided us in 1817 with the descriptive terminology of the orchids. (See External links below). The next step was taken in 1830-1840 by John Lindley, who recognized four subfamilies. He is generally recognized as the father of orchid taxonomy. The next important step was taken by George Bentham with a new classification, recognizing subtribes for the first time. This classification was first presented in a paper that Bentham read to the Royal Society in 1881. Then it was published in 1883 in the final volume of Genera Plantarum. The next great contributors were Pfitzer (1887), Schlechter (1926), Mansfeld (1937), Dressler and Dodson (1960), Garay (1960, 1972), Vermeulen (1966), again Dressler (1981). and Burns-Balogh and Funk (1986). Dressler's 1993 book had considerable influence on later work.
The Orchidoideae, or the orchidoid orchids, are a subfamily of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) that contains around 3630 species. Species typically have a single (monandrous), fertile anther which is erect and basitonic.
The Oncidiinae is a subtribe within the Orchidaceae that consists of a number of genera that are closely related.
Miltonia, abbreviated Milt. in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus comprising twelve epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids. The miltonias are exclusively inhabitants of Brazil, except for one species whose range extends from Brazil into the northeast of Argentina and the east of Paraguay.
Odontoglossum, first named in 1816 by Karl Sigismund Kunth, is a formerly accepted genus of orchids that is now regarded as a synonym of Oncidium. Several hundred species have previously been placed in Odontoglossum. The scientific name of the genus is derived from the Greek words odon (tooth) and glossa (tongue), referring to the two tooth-like calluses on the base of the lip. Species formerly placed in this genus are cool to cold growing orchids to be found on open spots in the humid cloud forest at higher elevations from Central- and West South America to Guyana, with most species around the northern Andes. The abbreviation for this genus is Odm. in the horticultural trade. Many of the species formerly placed in the genus are in great demand with orchid lovers because of their spectacular and flamboyant flowers.
Peristeria is a genus of plants of the family Orchidaceae commonly called dove orchid or Holy Ghost orchid. In line with the common name, the genus' name is from the Greek word peristerion meaning "from dove". According to the Royal Horticultural Society, Per is the official orchid abbreviation for this genus. In nature, it is found across much of South America as well as in Panama, Costa Rica and Trinidad.
Tolumnia, is a genus in the family Orchidaceae. Previously known as the "equitant oncidiums," the species were segregated from the mega-genus Oncidium by Guido Braem in 1986. Dancing-lady orchid is a common name for some species in this genus.
Psychopsis is a genus of four known species of orchids native to northern South America, Central America and Trinidad. The genus name is abbreviated Pyp. in the horticultural trade.
Rudolfiella, abbreviated as Rud. in the horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids comprising eight species native to tropical South America, Trinidad and Panama.
Calyptrochilum is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family Orchidaceae native to tropical Africa, with one species extending into Brazil.
Erycina is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Its species are native to Mexico, Central America, South America and Trinidad.
- Erycina crista-galli(Rchb.f.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
- Erycina echinata(Kunth) Lindl.
- Erycina glossomystax(Rchb.f.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
- Erycina hyalinobulbon(Lex.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
- Erycina pumilio(Rchb.f.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
- Erycina pusilla(L.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
- Erycina zamorensis(Dodson) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase
Nohawilliamsia is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Only one species is recognized as of June 2014, Nohawilliamsia pirarensis, native to northern South America.
Rossioglossum is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It has 9 currently recognized species, all native to Mexico, Central America, and northern and western South America.
- Rossioglossum ampliatum(Lindl.) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams - from Guatemala to Venezuela and Peru
- Rossioglossum grande(Lindl.) Garay & G.C.Kenn. - Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica
- Rossioglossum hagsaterianumSoto Arenas - Nayarit, Jalisco
- Rossioglossum insleayi(Baker ex Lindl.) Garay & G.C.Kenn. - from Jalisco to Oaxaca
- Rossioglossum krameri(Rchb.f.) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
- Rossioglossum oerstedii(Rchb.f.) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams - Costa Rica, Panama
- Rossioglossum schlieperianum(Rchb.f.) Garay & G.C.Kenn. - Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama
- Rossioglossum splendens(Rchb.f.) Garay & G.C.Kenn. - Oaxaca
- Rossioglossum williamsianum(Rchb.f.) Garay & G.C.Kenn - Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras
Dendrobieae is a tribe in the subfamily Epidendroideae, in the family Orchidaceae. The Dendrobieae are mostly tropical, epiphytic orchids which contain pseudobulbs.
Diseae is an orchid tribe in the subfamily Orchidoideae. It was recognized in Genera Orchidacearum volume 2, which was published in 2001. It consisted of 12 genera in five subtribes. In molecular phylogenetic studies that were published after 1999, it was shown that Diseae is paraphyletic over the tribe Orchideae. In a classification of orchids that was published in 2015, Diseae was not recognized, but was instead placed in synonymy under Orchideae.
