Maxillaria, an unfinished monograph.

Abstract

The genus Maxillaria is a large and tediously diverse genus of orchids from throughout the Neotropics, ranging from the U.S.A. (Florida) to Bolivia and the West Indies. Estimates put the number of species in the genus at 420 (Dressler, 1993), although this appears to be a significant underestimate based on recent findings and on-going research by several investigators. While all large orchid genera are morphologically variable, Maxillaria exceeds its brethren by being widely variable in almost all features. Plants range from “miniatures” only a few inches high such as M. lilliputana D. E. Benn. & Christenson and M. vittariifolia L. O. Wms., to giants of up to 10 feet tall such as M. gigantea (Lindl.) Dods. Flowers in Maxillaria occur in every color including blue, and range from solitary large showy flowers more than five inches across to clusters of small flowers less than one quarter of an inch across.