Maxillaria

Ruiz & Pavon

Fl. Peruv. Prodr., 116, plate 25. 1794.

Etymology: Latin maxilla, jawbone apparently an allusion to the open-mouth appearance of the flower when viewed laterally
Synonyms: Camaridium Lindley Ornithidium Salisbury Pseudomaxillaria Hoehne Sepalosaccus Schlechter
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 644. Mentioned on page 495.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA26 Plate 107.jpegCyrtopodium polyphyllum
Galeandra bicarinata
Maxillaria parviflora
Sisyrinchium littorale
Sisyrinchium idahoense var. occidentale
Sisyrinchium sagittiferum
Sisyrinchium septentrionale
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, epiphytic, rarely terrestrial, cespitose to climbing. Stems reduced [elongate], usually terminated with pseudobulb. Leaves 1–many; blade conduplicate, linear, lanceolate, or elliptic, margins entire. Inflorescences solitary flowers borne laterally within bract or leaf-axil of rhizome of mature, immature, or apparently abortive shoots; floral bracts triangular, usually acute. Flowers: sepals and petals nearly same; dorsal sepal erect, concave; lateral sepals adnate to column-foot; lip 3-lobed or simple; column not winged, semiterete, with foot at base; pollinia 4, waxy; stigmatic cavity round; rostellum not prominent. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid to obovoid.

Distribution

Tropical regions, Western Hemisphere

Discussion

Species ca. 650 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants conspicuously rhizomatous; pseudobulbs conspicuous; sepals less than 1 cm. Maxillaria parviflora
1 Plants cespitose; pseudobulbs absent or hidden from view; sepals more than 1 cm. Maxillaria crassifolia
... more about "Maxillaria"
self-pollination +
John T. Atwood +
Ruiz & Pavon +
indehiscent +
not +  and articulate +
conduplicate +  and plicate +
elliptic +, lanceolate +  and linear +
semiterete +
Tropical regions +  and Western Hemisphere +
Latin maxilla, jawbone +  and apparently an allusion to the open-mouth appearance of the flower when viewed laterally +
3-merous +, sessile +  and pedicellate +
not +  and resupinate +
ellipsoid;obovoid +
lateral +  and terminal +
petiolate +, sessile +  and simple +
duplicate +, convolute +, whorled +, opposite +, distichous +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
1 (?) +  and Many (?) +
reduced +
3-lobed +
larger +
differing in form and color +
1-many-flowered +  and cymose +
pendent +  and erect +
Fl. Peruv. Prodr., +
aerial +  and subterranean +
not prominent +
minute +
free +, distinct +, adnate +  and connate +
foliaceous +
not +  and alike +
immature +  and mature +
branched +, or +  and simple +
pendent +  and erect +
proliferous +
reduced +
concave +  and convex +
Camaridium +, Ornithidium +, Pseudomaxillaria +  and Sepalosaccus +
Maxillaria +
Orchidaceae (tribe Maxillarieae) subtribe Maxillariinae +
annual +  and perennial +
herb +  and cespitose to climbing +
saprophytic +, photosynthetic +  and mycotrophic +