Miltonia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miltonia
Miltonia 'Aquarius', (a cultivar)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Higher Epidendroideae Tribe: Maxillareae Subtribe: Oncidiinae Alliance: Oncidium Genus: Miltonia Lindl. 1837
Type species
Miltonia spectabilis Lindl.
Species
Miltonia candida - Snow-white Miltonia Miltonia clowesii - Clowes' Miltonia Miltonia cuneata - Wedge-shaped Miltonia Miltonia flava Miltonia flavescens - Yellowish Miltonnia Miltonia kayasimae Miltonia moreliana Miltonia phymatochila Miltonia regnellii - Regnell's Miltonia Miltonia regnellii f. alba Miltonia regnellii f. citrina Miltonia regnellii f. travassosiana Miltonia regnellii f. veitchiana Miltonia russelliana - Russell's Miltonia Miltonia spectabilis - Outstanding Miltonia
Synonyms
Anneliesia Brieger & Lückel Macrochilus Knowles & Westc.

Miltonia, abbreviated Milt in horticultural trade, is a small genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). They are named after Lord Fitzwilliam Milton, an English orchid enthusiast.

These epiphytic orchids occur from Central to Southern Brazil down to Argentina. These orchids have one or two leaves, arising from a pseudobulbs, covered with a foliaceous sheath. The inflorescence consists of waxy, nonspurred flowers. The lip is large and flat and lacks a callus at its base. They possess a footless column with two hard pollinia. The flowers have a delicate, exotic scent.

The species in this genus are sometimes confused with the pansy orchids, but it is the other miltoniopsis orchids that have flowers that closely resemble the pansy. Almost everyone except for the most serious orchid hobbyists use these names interchangeably, which may cause confusion.

Miltonia looks more like oncidiums than the real pansy orchids. The most "pansy-like" a miltonia can get is the species Miltonia spectabilis. Taxonomists are debating whether to put miltonia into the oncidium genus because of the many connections between the two.

Miltoniopsis is the pansy orchid with huge showy flowers. They grow in cooler climates and are more challenging to grow than miltonias.

This genus forms with Miltoniopsis a hybrid genus xMilmiltonia J.M.H.Shaw.

[edit] Natural hybrids

• Miltonia × bluntii Rchb.f. (1879) (= Miltonia clowesii × Miltonia spectabilis) (Brazil)
• Miltonia × cogniauxiae Peeters ex Cogn. & Gooss. (1900) (Miltonia regnellii × Miltonia spectabilis) (Brazil)
• Miltonia × cyrtochiloides Barb.Rodr. (1877) (Miltonia flavescens × Miltonia spectabilis) (Brazil)
• Miltonia × lamarckeana Rchb.f. (1885) (Miltonia candida × Miltonia clowesii) (Brazil)

[edit] Intergeneric hybrids

• xAliceara (Brassia x Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xAspodonia (Aspasia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xBakerara (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xBeallara (Brassia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xBiltonara (Ada x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xBlackara (Aspasia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xBrilliandeara (Aspasia x Brassia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xBurrageara (Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xCharlesworthara (Cochlioda x Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xColmanara (Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xCrawshayara (Aspasia x Brassia x Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xDegarmoara (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xDerosaara (Aspasia x Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xDuggerara (Ada x Brassia x Miltonia)
• xDunningara (Aspasia x Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xForgetara (Aspasia x Brassia x Miltonia)
• xGoodaleara (Brassia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xMaunderara (Ada x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xMilpasia (Aspasia x Miltonia)
• xMilpilia (Miltonia x Trichopilia)
• xMiltada (Ada x Miltonia)
• xMiltadium (Ada x Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xMiltarettia (Comparettia x Miltonia)
• xMiltassia (Brassia x Miltonia)
• xMiltistonia (Baptistonia x Miltonia)
• xMiltonidium (Miltonia x Oncidium)
• xMiltonioda (Cochlioda x Miltonia)
• xMorrisonara (Ada x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xNorwoodara (Brassia x Miltonia x Oncidium x Rodriguezia)
• xOdontonia (Miltonia x x Odontoglossum)
• xRodritonia (Miltonia x Rodriguezia)
• xSauledaara (Aspasia x Brassia x Miltonia x Oncidium x Rodriguezia)
• xSchafferara (Aspasia x Brassia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xSchilligerara (Aspasia x Gomesa x Miltonia)
• xSegerara (Aspasia x Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)
• xVanalstyneara (Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium x Rodriguezia)
• xVuylstekeara (Cochlioda x Miltonia x Odontoglossum)
• xWithnerara (Aspasia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum x Oncidium)

[edit] References

• Miltonia Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 23: t. 1976 (1837)
• New species : Orchid Research Newsletter 47 (January 2006); Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.