Maxillarieae

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Maxillarieae
Coconut Orchid (Maxillaria tenuifolia)
Coconut Orchid (Maxillaria tenuifolia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
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 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.

[edit] References

Dichaea glauca in Chiapas, Mexico
Dichaea glauca in Chiapas, Mexico
  • 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 87: 1842–1856. doi:10.2307/2656837.  - on line here