''Acineta'', abbreviated as Acn in horticultural trade, is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

belonging to the orchid family (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

). The name is derived from the Greek word 'akinetos' (immobile), referring to the rigid labellum (lip). These

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchids occur in tropical mountainous forests from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to western

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, at altitudes up to 2,000 m. They are sometimes

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

when found on steep embankments. The large,

plicate Plicata, ''plicate'', ''plicated'', ''pleated'' or ''folded'' in Latin, may refer to: * Lingua plicata, a benign condition characterized by deep grooves in the dorsum of the tongue * Pars plicata The pars plicata (also known as corona ciliaris ) ...

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are parallel-nerved and resemble those of '' Peristeria'' and ''

Lycaste ''Lycaste'', abbreviated as Lyc. in horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids that contains about 30 species with egg-shaped pseudobulbs and thin, plicate (pleated) leaves. Description ''Lycaste'' flowers, like all orchid blooms, have three ...

'', while the structure of the flowers bears a closer resemblance to ''

Stanhopea ''Stanhopea'' is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) from Central and South America. The abbreviation used in horticultural trade is ''Stan.'' The genus is named for the 4th Earl of Stanhope (Philip Henry Stanhope) (1781-1855), president ...

''. The species produce a pendent

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

, bearing

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

s of many fragrant cup-shaped, pale yellow to reddish brown

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s. The sidelobes of the labellum (lip) come together in a central

callus A callus is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, but they may o ...

. The basal part of the lip (

hypochile In botany, the labellum (or lip) is the part of the flower of an orchid or '' Canna'', or other less-known genera, that serves to attract insects, which pollinate the flower, and acts as a landing platform for them. ''Labellum'' (plural: ''l ...

) is at least as long as the sidelobes. The

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

is pubescent. The column of these orchids bears two pollinia, except in ''Acineta dalessandroi'', which has four (making its classification in this genus doubtful). These orchids are insect pollinated by male

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

s in the genus ''

Eulaema ''Eulaema'' is a genus of large-bodied euglossine bees that occur primarily in the Neotropics. They are robust brown or black bees, hairy or velvety, and often striped with yellow or orange, typically resembling bumblebees. They lack metallic col ...

'' or '' Eufriesia''. Some regard these as being among of the most splendid looking of all orchids. For relatives of ''Acineta'' see

Stanhopeinae Stanhopeinae is a subtribe of plants in the tribe Cymbidieae. The subtribe in the strict sense, have viscidia and stipes that are thin and strap-like, they are adapted for attachment to edge of the bee's scutellum or to a leg. Pseudobulbs are us ...

Intergeneric hybrids

* ''Aciopea'' (''Acienta'' × ''

'') * ''Acinbreea'' (''Acineta'' × '' Embreea'')

References

* Günter Gerlach 2001. "Die Subtribus Stanhopeinae: 3. Horichia bis Lacaena," in: J. Orchideenfreund 8(2): 105-118 (2001) - col. illus.

External links

* *
Nina Rach, "The Genus Acineta"
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20946 Stanhopeinae genera Epiphytic orchids