The Pleurothallidinae are a neotropical subtribe of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s of 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 ...

) including 29 genera in more than 4000 species. Naturally occurring species of this subtribe are among the more popular orchids of horticulturalists, especially the genera ''Dracula'', ''Dryadella'', ''Masdevallia'' and ''Restrepia''. The following

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

are considered

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

: '' Barbosella'' (including '' Barbrodia''), ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'', '' Dresslerella'', '' Dryadella'', ''

Lepanthes ''Lepanthes'' (from Greek "scaled-flower") is a large genus of orchids with about 800–1000 species, distributed in the Antilles and from Mexico through Bolivia (with very few species in Brazil). The genus is abbreviated in horticultural trade a ...

'', ''

Masdevallia ''Masdevallia'', abbreviated Masd in horticultural trade, is a large genus of flowering plants of the Pleurothallidinae, a subtribe of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). There are over 500 species, grouped into several subgenera. The genus is nam ...

'', '' Platystele'', '' Porroglossum'', '' Restrepia'', '' Scaphosepalum'', ''

Trisetella ''Trisetella'' is a genus of orchids, native to Central America, Central and South America. Twelve of the 23 currently known species are endemic to Ecuador.Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2006). Epidendroideae (Part On ...

'', and '' Zootrophion''. Many genera in the Pleurothallidinae were found

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

, for example species attributed to the genus ''

Pleurothallis ''Pleurothallis'' is a genus of orchids commonly called bonnet orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek word , meaning "riblike branches". This refers to the rib-like stems of many species. The genus is often abbreviated as "Pths" in hor ...

''are scattered across five clades.

Genera

Genera recognized in Chase et al.'s 2015 classification of orchids: ''

Acianthera ''Acianthera'' is a genus of orchids native to the tropical parts of the Western Hemisphere, especially Brazil.de Melo, M. C., Borba, E. L., & Paiva, E. A. S. (2010)Morphological and histological characterization of the osmophores and nectaries ...

'' – ''

Anathallis ''Anathallis'' is a genus of orchids, comprising about 97 species native to Mexico, Central America, South America and the West Indies. Selected species The genus includes the following species: * '' Anathallis abbreviata'' * '' Anathallis acu ...

'' – '' Andinia'' – '' Barbosella'' – ''

Brachionidium ''Brachionidium'' (or cup orchid) is a genus of about 72 species of orchids, found throughout much of tropical America (Central America, the West Indies, and South America as far south as Brazil and Bolivia).Luteyn, J. L. 1999. Páramos, a check ...

'' – '' Chamelophyton'' – '' Dilomilis'' – '' Diodonopsis'' – ''

Draconanthes ''Draconanthes'' (from Greek, "dragon flower") is a genus of orchids, comprising two species. These have rigid, fleshy sepals and fleshy petals with a thick lip, and are borne on successively flowered racemes. One species is endemic to Ecuador, ...

'' – ''

'' – '' Dresslerella'' – '' Dryadella'' – '' Echinosepala'' – '' Frondaria'' – '' Kraenzlinella'' – ''

'' – '' Lepanthopsis'' – ''

'' – ''

Myoxanthus ''Myoxanthus'' (from Greek for "dormouse" and "flower") is a genus of orchids with about 50 species, widely distributed in Central and South America. This genus is a close ally of ''Pleurothallis''. The genera ''Chaetocephala'' Barb.Rodr., '' ...

'' – '' Neocogniauxia'' – '' Octomeria'' – '' Pabstiella'' – '' Phloeophila'' – '' Platystele'' – ''

'' – '' Pleurothallopsis'' – '' Porroglossum'' – '' Restrepia'' – '' Restrepiella'' – '' Sansonia'' – '' Scaphosepalum'' – '' Specklinia'' – ''

Stelis ''Stelis'', or leach orchids, is a large genus of orchids, with perhaps 500 species. The generic name ''Stelis'' is the Greek word for ' mistletoe', referring to the epiphytic habit of these species. These mainly epiphytic (rarely lithophytic) ...

'' – '' Teagueia'' – '' Tomzanonia'' – '' Trichosalpinx'' – ''

'' – '' Zootrophion''

References

DNA-based reclassification of the Pleurothallidinae

Alec M. Pridgeon, Rodolfo Solano and Mark W. Chase - Phylogenetic relationships in Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae): combined evidence from nuclear and plastid DNA sequences; American Journal of Botany. 2001;88:2286-2308
Orchid subtribes {{Epidendreae-stub