Biology:Maxillarieae

Short description: Tribe of orchids

Maxillarieae
Coconut orchid (Maxillaria tenuifolia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Maxillarieae
Genera
70-80, See text

Maxillarieae is a large and complex tribe of orchids native to South and Central America. Within the tribe there are eight subtribes one of which is that of the genus Maxillaria.

Tribe Maxillarieae contains 70 to 80 genera with about 1,000 species; most grow in tropical America as terrestrials or epiphytes, a few are myco-heterotrophs (formerly called saprophytes). Most show pseudobulbs, but a few have reedlike stems or thick underground stems. Blooms have four pollinia.

• Subtribe Corallorhizinae: all epiparasites.
  • Genera: Aplectrum, Corallorrhiza
• Subtribe Zygopetalinae: about 150 species. Most exhibited hybrids are to be found in this subtribe.
  • Alliance Warrea
    • Genera: Otostylis, Warrea
  • Alliance Zygopetalum
    • Genera: Acacallis, Aganisia, Batemannia, Bollea, Cheiradenia, Chondrorhyncha, Cochleanthes, Colax, Pabstia, Promenaea, Zygopetalum
  • Alliance Bollea
    • Genera: Bollea, Chondrorhyncha, Cochleanthes, Huntleya, Kefersteinia, Pescatoria, Stenia
  • Alliance Vargasiella
    • Genera: Vargasiella
  • Unallied Genera within Zygopetalinae
    • Genera: Benzingia, Chaubardia, Chaubardiella, Dodsonia, Galeottia, Hoehneella, Koellensteinia, Neogardneria, Paradisanthus, Scuticaria, Warreella, Warreopsis, Zygosepalum
  • Alliance Hybrids (Nothogenerics)
    • Genera: Aitkenara, Bateostylis, Bollopetalum, Chondrobollea, Cochella, Cochlecaste, Cochlenia, Downsara, Durutyara, Hamelwellsara, Huntleanthes, Kanzerara, Keferanthes, Lancebirkara, Otocolax, Otonisia, Palmerara, Rotorara, Zygocaste, Zygolum, Zygonisia, Zygostylis
• Subtribe Bifrenariinae: thin and pleated leaves.
  • Genera: Bifrenaria, Xylobium
• Subtribe Lycastinae: thin and pleated leaves.
  • Genera: Anguloa, Bifrenaria, Lycaste, Neomoorea, Rudolfiella, Sudamerlycaste Teuscheria, Xylobium
• Subtribe Stanhopeinae:
  • Genera: Acineta, Archivea, Braemia, Cirrhaea, Coryanthes, Embreea, Gongora, Horichia, Houlletia, Jennyella, Kegeliella, Lacaena, Lueddemannia, Paphinia, Polycycnis, Schlimmia, Sievekingia, Soterosanthus, Stanhopea, Trevoria, Vasqueziella
• Subtribe Coeliopsidinae:
  • Genera: Coeliopsis, Lycomormium, Peristeria
• Subtribe Maxillariinae: largest subtribe with nearly half of the tribe species. The leathery leaves are conduplicate, i.e. folded together lengthwise.
  • Genera: Chrysocycnis, Cyrtidium, Maxillaria, Mormolyca, Pityphyllum, Scuticaria (plant), Sepalosaccus, Trigonidium
• Subtribe Dichaeinae
  • Genera: Dichaea
• Subtribe Telipogoninae
  • Genera: Telipogon, Trichoceros
• Subtribe Ornithocephalinae
  • Genera: Ornithocephalus, Zygostates

Dichaea squarrosa in Chiapas, Mexico

References

• W. Mark Whitten, Norris H. Williams and Mark W. Chase (2000). "Subtribal and generic relationships of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae) with emphasis on Stanhopeinae: combined molecular evidence". American Journal of Botany (American Journal of Botany, Vol. 87, No. 12) 87 (12): 1842–1856. doi:10.2307/2656837. PMID 11118422.  - on line here

Wikidata ☰ Q430104 entry