63. Maxillaria Ruiz & Pavon, Fl. Peruv. Prodr. 116, plate 25. 1794.
[Latin maxilla, jawbone; apparently an allusion to the open-mouth appearance of the flower when viewed laterally]
John T. Atwood
Camaridium Lindley; Ornithidium Salisbury; Pseudomaxillaria Hoehne; Sepalosaccus Schlechter
Herbs, epiphytic, rarely terrestrial, cespitose to climbing. Stems reduced [elongate], usually terminated with pseudobulb. Leaves 1–many; blade conduplicate, linear, lanceolate, or elliptic, margins entire. Inflorescences solitary flowers borne laterally within bract or leaf axil of rhizome of mature, immature, or apparently abortive shoots; floral bracts triangular, usually acute. Flowers: sepals and petals nearly same; dorsal sepal erect, concave; lateral sepals adnate to column foot; lip 3-lobed or simple; column not winged, semiterete, with foot at base; pollinia 4, waxy; stigmatic cavity round; rostellum not prominent. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid to obovoid.
Species ca. 650 (2 in the flora): tropical regions, Western Hemisphere.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Atwood, J. T. 1993. A revision of the Maxillaria neglecta complex (Orchidaceae) in Mesoamerica. Lindleyana 8: 25–31. Brieger, F. G. 1977. On the Maxillariinae (Orchidaceae) with sepaline spur. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 97: 548–574. Hammer, R. L. 1981. Finding new orchids: A contribution to the Orchidaceae of Florida. Fairchild Trop. Gard. Bull. 36(3): 16–18.
