Defining Generic Limits in Maxillaria. A Return to the Orchidaceous Mine

Abstract

If one goes orchid hunting in the forests of Central or South America, odds are that one of the first orchids you will encounter will be a Maxillaria or one of its close relatives. Maxillarias comprise a large percentage of the Neotropical orchid flora, as well as being relatively common. However, putting a name on these plants has vexed botanists for centuries. The flowers are often not showy, and tend to be relatively monotonous in form. The most recent volume of Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 5, Part 2 (Pridgeon et al. 2009), and the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families utilize a major new reclassification of Maxillaria and relatives.