''Maxillaria'', abbreviated as Max in the

horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

trade, is a large

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 ...

orchid 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 ...

s (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 ...

). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely. They are commonly called spider orchids, flame orchids or

tiger orchid Tiger orchid is a common name for several orchids and may refer to: *'' Diuris sulphurea'', native to eastern Australia *''Elleanthus'', native to the neotropics *''Grammatophyllum speciosum'', the world's largest orchid, native to southeast Asia * ...

s. Their scientific name is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word ''maxilla'', meaning

jawbone In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

, reflecting on 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. ...

and the base of the lip of some species, that may evoke a protruding jaw. Recent molecular studies have found ''Maxillaria'' as it has long been viewed to be an unnatural hodgepodge composed of groups not closely related to each other. Hence it has been proposed that the genus should be split into several genera, proposals that have been gaining acceptance. Some of the species long considered members of ''Maxillaria'' have been moved to other genera: ''

Camaridium ''Camaridium'' is a genus of epiphytic orchids widespread across the West Indies and through Latin America from Mexico to Bolivia. One species extends into Florida ('' C. vestitum'', listed in Flora of North America under the synonym, ''Maxil ...

Heterotaxis ''Heterotaxis'' is a genus of orchids native to Latin America from central Mexico to Bolivia, and also to parts of the West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbe ...

Ornithidium ''Ornithidium'', is genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). Its members are native to the West Indies and to Latin America from southern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern po ...

Brasiliorchis ''Brasiliorchis'' is a genus of orchid (family Orchidaceae). The genus includes species formerly placed in ''Maxillaria''. It is found in South America ( Colombia to Ecuador, eastern and southern Brazil to north-east Argentina).Ferreira, A.W.C., ...

Christensonella ''Maxillaria'', abbreviated as Max in the horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely. They are commonly called sp ...

, Nitidibulbon,

Sauvetrea ''Sauvetrea'' was a genus of orchids native to South America and Central America. #''Sauvetrea alpestris'' (Lindl.) Szlach. - Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela #''Sauvetrea chicana'' (Dodson) M.A.Blanco - Ecuador #''Sauvetrea cornuta'' (C.Schw ...

, Inti,

Mapinguari Mpinguari or Mpinguary, (also called the ''Juma'') are monsterous jungle-dwelling spirits from Brazilian folklore. Description There are two major depictions of it. Some described them as a hairy humanoid cyclops. This version is often said to ...

Maxillariella ''Maxillaria'', abbreviated as Max in the horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely. They are commonly called sp ...

Rhetinantha ''Rhetinantha'' is a genus of orchids native to Mexico, South America and Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the nort ...

Mormolyca ''Mormolyca'', abbreviated as Mlca in horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids comprising 26 species native to southern Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America South America is a continent entirely in the ...

''.Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2009). Epidendroideae (Part two). Genera Orchidacearum 5: 1-585. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Distribution and ecology

''Maxillaria'' species still included in the smaller version of the genus are distributed in the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

at sea level to elevations of 3,500 m, in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

from central

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 ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, as well as in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> This is an indication for the different temperature requirements, from warm growing to cold growing, within the genus. They are mostly

epiphyte 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 ...

s, rather large in size, but some are terrestrials or even

lithophyte 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 also ...

s (such as ''M. rupestris''). Many species are rather large with rampant growth.

Characteristics

Their pseudobulbs are round or oblong and each carry one or two

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

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 ...

. Some grow close together in a clustered manner on a short

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

, while in other species the pseudobulbs keep some distance on an elongate rhizome. This rhizome is clothed in a somewhat transparent, silvery-gray velamen. The

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 mechani ...

s grow solitary on short stalks, called scapes, from the base of the pseudobulb. Most are small to very small, but some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

carry large, showy flowers. The flowers are never longer than the leaves. Their free

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s and

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s have a typically curved and adnate labellum with three inconspicuous lobes. Or the lip may have a distinct callus on the disc ( = central part of the lip from which the lobes radiate). The papillae (= small warts like glands) and the

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

s of the lip show great diversity. The most common form for the papillae is the conical form with rounded or pointed tips.

Cultivation

''Maxillaria'' is not one of the popular genera among growers. Only a few species grow big, showy flowers. But some species are nevertheless sought by collectors, mostly for the

fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...

of their blossoms, such as ''

Maxillaria tenuifolia ''Maxillaria tenuifolia'', the delicate-leafed maxillaria or coconut pie orchid, is a species of orchid ranging from Mexico to Nicaragua and possibly Costa Rica. These plants are easy to grow if kept moist and given good air movement in a high- ...

''.

References

*Dr. Karlheinz Senghas - ''Maxillaria, un genre chaotique'' - Richardiana *Eric A. Christenson - ''Vue d’ensemble du genre Maxillaria'' - Richardiana

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2719986 Maxillariinae genera Epiphytic orchids