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(Last Modified On 1/20/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/20/2013)
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Genus
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MAXILLARIA Ruiz & Pavon
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PlaceOfPublication
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Fl. Peruv. & Chil. Prodr. 116, t. 25. 1794
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Reference
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Lindl. in Bot. Reg. n. s. 6: Misc. 10. 1843; Benth. & Hook. Gen. Pl. 3:555. 1883.
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Synonym
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Ornithidium Salisb. in Trans. Hort. Soc. Lond. 1:293. 1812. Ca-maridium Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 10: t. 844. 1824. Psittacoglossum La Llave & Lex. Nov. Veg. Desc. 2:29. 1825. Heterotaxis Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 12: t. 1028. 1826. Dicrypta Lindl. Gen. & Spec. Orch. Pl. 44. 1830. Menadena Raf. Fl. Tellur. 2:98. 1836. Onkeripus Raf. loc. cit. 4:42. 1836. Pentulops Raf. loc. cit. 4:42. 1836.
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Description
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Epiphytic herbs with very short to elongate, often branching, erect, arching or pendulous stems, with or without clustered or distant, 1- to 3-leaved pseudobulbs. Leaves persistent, condupli-ate in vernation, usually coriaceous or fleshy, rarely thin, usually strap-shaped, without prominent veins. Inflorescences of 1 to many, reduced to elongate, 1-flowered scapes from the bases of the pseudobulbs, from the axils of the leaves, or the flush of new growth. Flowers small to large and con- spicuous. Sepals subequal, free, or the laterals somewhat connate at the base, ad- nate to the foot or base of the column, often forming a short mentum. Petals subequal to the sepals or somewhat smaller. Lip concave, 3-lobed or entire, sessile or contracted at the base into a short claw, articulated with or adnate to the foot or base of the column, lateral lobes or margins erect, the mid-lobe membranaceous or thickened, spreading or reflexed; disk rarely without a fleshy callus. Column erect, semi-terete, somewhat arcuate, not winged, the base with a short foot, or footless. Anther terminal, operculate, incumbent, i-celled or imperfectly 2-celled; pollinia 4, waxy.
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Note
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About 250 species of tropical American epiphytes, ranging from Mexico to Peru, Brazil, and the West Indies. As would be expected from a large group of plants having a great geographic range, they vary considerably in size and vege- tative habit. The species can roughly be separated into two main divisions, In the first division the pseudobulbs are conspicuously present, either as sessile clusters or distributed along the rhizome; while in the second division the pseudobulbs are inconspicuous or entirely absent, the plants usually either erect canes with 2-ranked foliage, or with sessile clusters of leaves in the form of a fan. However, there are many species in which conspicuous pseudobulbs are at first produced at the base, the subsequent growth becoming elongate, often branching or scandent, lacking pseudobulbs, or with pseudobulbs small and hidden by the imbricating leaf bases. Plants of some of these modified types are often indistinguishable from those of Canaridium and Ornithidium, the first of which in particular is a highly technical and arbitrary generic concept. In accordance with recently accepted usage, both of these are here considered to be Maxillarias. At the present time, some 41 species are known from Panama.
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Key
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a. Secondary stems usually conspicuously thickened into pseudobulbs. (See also section aa.) b. Plants caespitose. Rhizome very short; pseudobulbs erect, usually congested (rarely solitary), apex monophyllous. c. Bracts enveloping the base of the pseudobulb conspicuously foliaceous. d. Bases of the foliaceous bracts completely covering the poorly developed pseudobulb ............ 14. M. CRASSIFOLIA dd. Bases of the foliaceous bracts covering only the basal half of the well-developed pseudobulb. e. Plants small. Foliaceous bracts 1-2. Sepals 5 mm. wide or less. Mentum elongate ... ................ 13. M. CONFUSA ee. Plants large. Foliaceous bracts 3 or more. Sepals 8 mm. wide or more. Mentum short ......... 25. M. MALEOLENS cc. Bracts enveloping the bases of the pseudobulbs not or apparently not foliaceous. d. Mid-lobe of the lip 1/2 or more of the total length of the lip. e. Apices of the lateral lobes of the lip acute, conspicuously projecting ................... 3 5. M . RUFESCENS ee. Apices of the lateral lobes of the lip not acute, not conspicuously projecting ........ 16. M . CUCULLATA dd. Mid-lobe of the lip less than 1/2 the total length of the lip. e. Pseudobulbs complanate-cylindric, apparently continuous with the leaf petiole ............... 5. M. ARACHNITIFLORA ee. Pseudobulbs ovoid to elliptic-ovoid, compressed, but never cylindric, broader than the leaf petioles. f. Plants small, up to 25 cm. tall. g. Mid-lobe about 1/2 the total length of the lip. Apex of the pseudobulb subacute .......... 23. M. LONGIPETIOLATA gg. Mid-lobe about one third the total length of the lip. Apex of the pseudobulb broadly truncate. h. Mentum short, acute. Sepals acute, 15 mm. or less long ........ 9. M. BREVIPES hh. Mentum elongate, acuminate. Sepals acuminate, 17 mm. or more long ..... 13. M. CONFUSA ff. Plants large, more than 25 cm. tall (usually much taller). g. Flowers relatively large. Sepals 4 cm. or more long. h. Sepals obtuse to subacute, about 10 mm. wide ............ 24. M. LUTEO-ALBA hh. Sepals acuminate, about 6 mm. wide......... 3. M. ANGUSTISEGMENTA gg. Flowers relatively small. Sepals 3.5 cm. or less long. h. Mid-lobe about 1/2 the total length of the lip. Apex of the pseudobulb subacute ............... 23. M. LONGIPETIOLATA hh. Mid-lobe about 1/3 the total length of the lip. Apex of the pseudobulb broadly truncate. i. Sepals 2.5 cm. long or more ........................................ 34. M. RINGENS ii. Sepals 2 cm. long or less ........................................... 32. M. POWELLII bb. Plants caulescent. Rhizomes or canes elongate, sometimes branching; pseudobulbs approximate or distant, usually inserted on the rhizome at an oblique angle, sometimes confined to the base of the plant, erect, solitary or clustered. c. Pseudobulbs distributed along the rhizome, approximate, the internodes not equaling the length of the pseudobulbs, often more or less imbricating (i. e., with the base of each pseudobulb covered by the apical portion of that preceeding it). d. Flowers produced from the base of the current mature pseudobulb. e. Bracts enveloping the bases of the pseudobulbs foliaceous. f. Apical lobe of the lip about 2/3 of the total length .............. 38. M. VAGANS ff. Apical lobe of the lip about one third of the total length .............. 28. M. OREOCHARIS ee. Bracts enveloping the bases of the pseudobulbs not or apparently not foliaceous. f. Pseudobulbs minute, usually completely hidden by the papery imbricating bracts. Leaves very fleshy, subulate- conduplicate, rarely lanceolate-elliptic. Lip concave, entire, linear-spatulate ...........37. M. UNCATA ff. Pseudobulbs conspicuous, not hidden by the bases of the imbricating bracts. Leaves coriaceous, ligular, or subulate- conduplicate. Lip entire or 3-lobed. g. Scapes very short, in dense subsessile fascicles. Flowers enclosed in 2 conspicuous glumaceous bracts. Sepals broadly ovate, about 6 mm. long. Lip 3-lobed. Column footless ................ 27. M. NEGLECTA gg. Scapes conspicuously pedicellate, solitary or in loose fascicles. Sepals acute or obtuse. Lip entire, or obscurely 3-lobed. Column produced into a distinct foot. h. Apex of the pseudobulbs 2- to 3-leaved. Scapes usually loosely fasciculate. Sepals acuminate .... 20. M. FRIEDRICHSTHALII hh. Apex of the pseudobulbs monophyllous. Scapes usually solitary. i. Leaves 25 cm. or more long. Pseudobulbs strongly ancipitous. Sepals acute to acuminate .......... 28. M. OREOCHARIS ii. Leaves 15 cm. long or less. Pseudobulbs usually not strongly ancipitous. Sepals broadly obtuse ........ 40. M. VARIABILIS dd. Flowers produced from the bract axils of the flush of new growth. e. Leaves 25 cm. or more long. f. Bracts of the flush of new growth acuminate. Mid-lobe of the lip conspicuously thickened ...... 1. M. ALBA ff. Bracts of the flush of new growth broadly obtuse. Mid-lobe of the lip not conspicuously thickened ... 10. M. CAMARIDII ee. Leaves 18 cm. long or less. f. Lip conspicuously 3-lobed, the mid-lobe more than 1/2 the total length of the lip ..................... 3 8. M. VAGANS ff. Lip obscurely 3-lobed, the mid-lobe about 1/3 the total length of the lip .......................... . 40. M. VARIABILIS cc. Pseudobulbs distant to very distant on the rhizome, or confined to the base of the plant. d. Pseudobulbs distant to very distant on the rhizome. e. Flowering scapes produced from the axils of the current flush of new growth. f. Pseudobulbs diphyllous. g. Leaf petioles very short, the apices of the leaves obtuse. Bracts of the flush of new growth broadly obtuse ............ 10. M. CAMARIDII gg. Leaf petioles elongate, the apices of the leaves acute. Bracts of the flush of new growth acuminate ......... 15. M. CTENOSTACHYA ff. Pseudobulbs monophyllous. g. Flowers minute, the sepals less than 8 mm. long. h. Pseudobulbs suborbicular ....................................... . 26. M. MINOR hh. Pseudobulbs linear ......... 41. M. WERCKLEI gg. Flowers of moderate size, the sepals more than 8 mm. long. h. Pseudobulbs linear. Leaves less than 3 cm. long .............41. M. WERCKLEI hh. Pseudobulbs elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong. Leaves more than 6 cm. long. i. Lip conspicuously 3-lobed when spread out. j. Mid-lobe about 1/3 the total length of the lip ............. 1. M. ALBA jj. Mid-lobe more than I/2 the total length of the lip. k. Lateral lobes of the lip subfalcate, the mid-lobe acute to acuminate. Sepals acuminate .......... 36. M. UMBRATILIS kk. Lateral lobes of the lip rounded or broadly acute, the mid-lobe obtuse or subacute. Sepals acute .... 3 8. M. VAGANS ii. Lip entire or obscurely 3-lobed, subpandurate when spread out .......... 18. M. DIUTURNA ee. Flowering scapes produced from the base of the current mature pseudobulb. f. Flowers small, produced in dense subsessile fascicles. Column without a foot ............................ 27. M. NEGLECTA ff. Flowers of moderate size, usually 1-3, each flower solitary in the bract axil, never produced in dense subsessile fascicles. Column with a distinct foot. g. Leaves linear, elongate, less than 1 cm. wide. Sepals about 1.5 cm. long ........ 28. M. OREOCHARIS gg. Leaves broadly ligular, more than 3 cm. wide. Sepals about 3.5 cm. long .............. 31. M. PLANICOLA dd. Pseudobulbs confined to the base of the plant. e. Flowers large and conspicuous. Sepals 3.5 cm. long or more. f. Lip obscurely 3-lobed, about 1.5 cm. long .................22. M. INAUDITA ff. Lip conspicuously 3-lobed, about 1 cm. long ...............8. M. BRADEORUM ee. Flowers small. Sepals 1.5 cm. long or less. f. Sepals broadly ovate. Lip geniculate, sigmoid when seen in profile ....... 21. M. FULGENS ff. Sepals acute to acuminate, not broadly ovate. Lip not geniculate nor sigmoid in profile. g. Lip distinctly 3-lobed, lateral lobes auriculate, erect ........... 6. M. BIOLLEYI gg. Lip entire ............................................................................... 30. M . PITTIERI aa. Secondary stems not, or rarely, or obscurely thickened into pseudobulbs, or the pseudobulbs confined to the base of the plant. b. Plants caespitose. c. Leaf bases conduplicate, imbricating, distichously arranged in the form of a broad fan. d. Leaves fleshy. Flowers with short pedicels, subsessile in the central leaf axils. e. Leaves many, equitant, gladiate, acuminate. Plants pendent.......... 39. M. VALENZUELANA ee. Leaves few, ligular, acute or obtuse, the conduplicate bases completely enveloping a small pseudobulb. Plants erect. f. Plants more than 15 cm. tall. Leaves more than 15 mm. wide ......................... 14. M . CRASSIFOLIA ff. Plants less than 10 cm. tall. Leaves less than 10 mm. wide.......... 7. M. BRACHYBULBON dd. Leaves subcoriaceous. Flowers with long pedicels, produced from the axils of the basal conduplicate bracts................ 11. M. CHARTACIFOLIA cc. Leaf bases contracted below into narrow sheathing petioles, or apparently so. d. Leaves fleshy, obtuse, with short, conduplicate, imbricating petioles. Inflorescences subsessile in the leaf axils ......... 14. M. CRASSIFOLIA dd. Leaves coriaceous, acute or acuminate. Flowers usually long-pedicellate, rarely subsessile in the leaf axils. e. Leaves broad, 2.5 cm. wide or more. Flowers large, the sepals 4 cm. long or more................5. M. ARACHNITIFLORA ee. Leaves narrow, .8 cm. wide or less. Flowers small, the sepals 2.5 cm. long or less. f. Plants dwarf, usually less than 6 cm. tall ................ 7. M. BRA6HYBULBON ff. Plants elongate, leaves 45 cm. or more long ................. 4. M. ANGUSTISSIMA bb. Plants caulescent, the elongate canes or rhizomes repent, erect or pendulous, sometimes with pseudobulbs at the base. Leaves 2-ranked on the stem. c. Canes or rhizomes undivided, or apparently so. d. Plants dwarf, 15 cm. tall or less. e. Leaves acute or acuminate .................................... 37. M. UNCATA ee. Leaves obtuse, or the apices retuse .............41. M. WERCKLEI dd. Plants more than 25 cm. tall. e. Leaves forming a distichous, fasciculate cluster at the apex of the stems, the imbricating bases sometimes enveloping a small pseudobulb ..........................21. M . FULGENS ee. Leaves equidistantly distributed along the upper stems, the bases not fasciculate. f. Leaves 9 cm. long or less, the apex retuse. Flowers small, the sepals 1.5 cm. long or less. g. Sepals about 1.5 cm. long. Lip conspicuously 3-lobed, the basal lobes auriculate, erect, the apical lobe large, broadly obtuse ..................... 6. M. BIOLLEYI gg. Sepals about 1 cm. long. Lip linear, concave, rather obscurely 3-lobed, the apical lobe small, acute ......2. M. ALLENII ff. Leaves 15 cm. or more long, the apex broadly obtuse to acuminate. Flowers relatively large, the sepals 2.5 cm. long or more. g. Lip about 9 mm. long, conspicuously 3-lobed, the lateral lobes acute, broadly triangular to subfalcate ....8. M. BRADEORUM gg. Lip about 15 mm. long, rather obscurely 3-lobed. h. Leaves acuminate, 1.5 cm. or less wide, the bases tightly clasping the cylindric canes ........19. M. EXALTATA hh. Leaves broadly obtuse, 3.5 cm. or more wide, the persistent bases conspicuously flattened ........ 22. M. INAUDITA cc. Canes or rhizomes branching. d. Rhizome repent, rooting freely from the bases of the caespitose leaf clusters, which are distant or terminal on the stems ...... 33. M. REPENS dd. Canes erect or pendent, not freely rooting from caespitose leaf clusters, the leaves equidistantly distributed on the stems. e. Plants dwarf, 15 cm. or less tall. f. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic, broadly obtuse ...........41. M. WERCKLEI ff. Leaves fleshy, subulate-conduplicate, or rarely lanceolate, acute, never broadly obtuse ...........37. M. UNCATA ee. Plants 30 cm. or more tall. f. Canes slender. Leaves very short, 6 cm. or less long (usually much less) ............... 17. M. DENDROBIOIDES ff. Canes relatively stout. Leaves 10 cm. long or more. g. Flowers conspicuously pedicellate; sepals over 15 mm. long. Column with a distinct foot ..... 29. M. PARVILABIA gg. Flowers in dense subsessile fascicles; sepals 10 mm. or less long. Column without a foot. Plants usually with an ovoid pseudobulb at the base. h. Lip geniculate, sigmoid in profile. hh. Lip not geniculate, not sigmoid in profile. i. Apex of the lip 2-lobed ....... 12. M. CONDUPLICATA ii. Apex of the lip subaristate ........ 30. M. PITTIERI
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