The taxonomy of the Orchidaceae 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.. 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, Vermeulen (1966), again Dressler (1981). and Burns-Balogh and Funk (1986). Dressler's 1993 book had considerable influence on later work.
Brassia is a genus of orchids classified in the subtribe Oncidiinae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and northern South America, with one species extending into Florida.
Sobralia is a genus of orchids native to Mexico, Central and South America. The plants are more commonly terrestrial, but are also found growing epiphytically, in wet forests from sea level to about 8,800 ft. The genus was named for Dr. Francisco Sobral, a Spanish botanist. The genus is abbreviated Sob in trade journals.
Epidendrum, abbreviated Epi in the horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name refers to its epiphytic growth habit.
Within the Orchidaceae, Hormidium was originally a subgenus of the genus Epidendrum, but was later raised to a full genus. It is now considered not to be distinct from the genus Prosthechea, of which it is a synonym. Most of the species of Hormidium have been transferred to Prosthechea, although others are now classified in Encyclia, Epidendrum, Homalopetalum, and Lepanthes.
Prosthechea is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The name is derived from the Greek word prostheke (appendix), referring to the appendage on the back of the column. Appendage orchid is a common name for this genus. Prosthechea is abbreviated Psh. in the horticultural trade.
Acianthera is a genus of orchids native to the tropical parts of the Western Hemisphere, especially Brazil. It was first described in 1842 but was not widely recognized until recently. Most of the species were formerly placed under Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera. This splitting is a result of recent DNA sequencing.
Ornithocephalus is a genus of orchids comprising more than 50 known species widespread in South America, Central America, Southern Mexico, Trinidad and the Windward Islands.
Cattleya crispa is a species of orchid indigenous to the Tijuca Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, noted for its crisped and ruffled petals and lip. It is the type species for both the subgenus Cattleya subg. Crispae and its section Cattleya sect. Crispae.
Cyclopogon is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is a fairly large genus distributed widely over much of South America, the Galápagos, Central America, Mexico and the West Indies, with 2 species (C. elatus + C. cranichoides) in southern Florida.
Elleanthus is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. They are commonly known as tiger orchid. All the species are native to the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere.
Epistephium is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, with a few species in Belize and Trinidad.
- Epistephium amabileSchltr.
- Epistephium amplexicaulePoepp. & Endl.
- Epistephium brevicristatumR.E.Schult.
- Epistephium duckeiHuber
- Epistephium elatumKunth in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth
- Epistephium ellipticumR.O.Williams & Summerh. (Belize)
- Epistephium frederici-augustiRchb.f. & Warsz.
- Epistephium hernandiiGaray
- Epistephium lamprophyllumSchltr.
- Epistephium laxiflorumBarb.Rodr.
- Epistephium lobulosumGaray
- Epistephium lucidumCogn. in C.F.P.von Martius
- Epistephium matogrossenseHoehne
- Epistephium parviflorumLindl.
- Epistephium portellianumBarb.Rodr.
- Epistephium praestansHoehne
- Epistephium sclerophyllumLindl.
- Epistephium sessiliflorumLindl.
- Epistephium speciosumBarb.Rodr.
- Epistephium subrepensHoehne
- Epistephium williamsiiHook.f.
Eurystyles is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 20 known species native to South America, Central America, the West Indies and Chiapas.
- Eurystyles actinosophila(Barb.Rodr.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles alticolaDod
- Eurystyles ananassocomus(Rchb.f.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles borealisA.H.Heller
- Eurystyles christensoniiD.E.Benn.
- Eurystyles cogniauxii(Kraenzl.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles cornu-bovisSzlach.
- Eurystyles cotyledonWawra
- Eurystyles cristata(Schltr.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles crocodilusSzlach.
- Eurystyles domingensisDod
- Eurystyles gardneri(Lindl.) Garay
- Eurystyles guentheriana(Kraenzl.) Garay
- Eurystyles hoehneiSzlach.
- Eurystyles lobataChiron & V.P.Castro
- Eurystyles lorenzii(Cogn.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles ochyrana(Szlach., Mytnik & Rutk.) F.Barros & L.R.S.Guim.
- Eurystyles rutkowskianaSzlach.
- Eurystyles splendissimaSzlach.
- Eurystyles standleyiAmes
Fernandezia is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains about 30-40 species, native to northern South America, Central America, and southern Mexico.
Gomesa is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains about 80–100 species, all native to South America. The genus is abbreviated as Gom.
Psilochilus is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico and the West Indies.
- Psilochilus carinatusGaray - Colombia
- Psilochilus dusenianusKraenzl. ex Garay & Dunst. - Venezuela, Brazil
- Psilochilus macrophyllus(Lindl.) Ames - widespread from central Mexico and the West indies south to Peru
- Psilochilus maderoi(Schltr.) Schltr. - Colombia
- Psilochilus modestusBarb.Rodr. - Venezuela, Brazil
- Psilochilus mollisGaray - Ecuador
- Psilochilus physurifolius(Rchb.f.) Løjtnant - Venezuela, Guyana
- Psilochilus vallecaucanusKolan. & Szlach. - Colombia
Cattleya × elegans is a hybrid orchid in the subtribe Laeliinae. It is a pseudobulb epiphyte. Its formula hybridae is Cattleya purpurata Van den Berg (2008) × Cattleya tigrina A.Rich. (1848). It is found in South and South-East Brazil.
