This article gives a complete list of
valid genera in the Orchid family (
Orchidaceae), originally according to
The Families of Flowering Plants - L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz. This list is adapted on a regular basis with the changes published in the Orchid Research Newsletter which is published twice a year by the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
This
taxonomy undergoes regular change and evolves rapidly, mainly through evidence from
DNA study. At the moment, orchids are mostly defined by morphological similarity (structure of their flowers and other parts). Furthermore, each year about another 150 new species are being discovered. The list of genera alone currently stands just short of 1000 entries. From a
cladistic point of view, the orchid family is considered a
monophyly, i.e. the group incorporates all the taxa derived from an ancestral group.
Organization
Each entry includes five element:
Name authority (subfamily, abbreviation) synonymy
Name
The name is given in italic. It will not be linked for synonyms.
Authority
The authority is the standardly abbreviated
Author citation according to
IPNI
Subfamily
The subfamily is indicated by abbreviating it to the first letter:
Horticulturist have developed a set of standard abbreviation for genera used in hybridization. These abbreviation reflect those in the
Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Sander's List of Orchid Hybrids, the internationally recognized registrar of orchid hybrids. These abbreviations and variations are instead of the more unwieldy generic names, for example, in giving hybrid parentage and on identifying labels. The standard name is in bold, names marked with asterisks are used for genera that are not abbreviated by the RHS because they are not used in hybridization, but have received prizes from other organization such as the
American Orchid Society
Synonymy
If the name is a
synonym an not in current use, the
accepted name is given. The name is preceded by = for heterotypic synonyms (taxonomic synonyms; synonyms with a different type species), and with ≡ for homotypic synonyms (nomenclatural synonyms; synonyms that only differ in name). Note that not all species that once belonged to a synonymic genus are necessarily member of the currently accepted genus, some, or even most may have been placed in other genera. Names whose synonymy is not agreed are marked by ≈.
^
abcdeAustralian authorities recognize this segregate.
^A treatment of the genus as a section of Pleurothallis was published simultaneously by the same author due to an editorial oversight, making the publication invalid.
^Abola was homonymous with a previous name published by
Michel Adanson for Cinna L.
^Ackermania is also homonymous to Ackermannia, a genus of fungus.Because of this, some authorities the name synonymous only with Chondrorhyncha, the genus in which the species originally were, rather than Benzingia, where they eventually were placed.
^The genus Pabstiella was thought to be invalid, but had been validated after its original publication. Because Anthereon included the
type species of that genus, it was rendered illegitimate.
^Superfluous name for Corunastylis, now synonymized with Genoplesium.
^
abcOriginal publication invalid? Cite error: The named reference "attribution" was defined multiple times with different content (see the
help page).
^Cite error: The named reference aussie was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).
This article gives a complete list of
valid genera in the Orchid family (
Orchidaceae), originally according to
The Families of Flowering Plants - L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz. This list is adapted on a regular basis with the changes published in the Orchid Research Newsletter which is published twice a year by the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
This
taxonomy undergoes regular change and evolves rapidly, mainly through evidence from
DNA study. At the moment, orchids are mostly defined by morphological similarity (structure of their flowers and other parts). Furthermore, each year about another 150 new species are being discovered. The list of genera alone currently stands just short of 1000 entries. From a
cladistic point of view, the orchid family is considered a
monophyly, i.e. the group incorporates all the taxa derived from an ancestral group.
Organization
Each entry includes five element:
Name authority (subfamily, abbreviation) synonymy
Name
The name is given in italic. It will not be linked for synonyms.
Authority
The authority is the standardly abbreviated
Author citation according to
IPNI
Subfamily
The subfamily is indicated by abbreviating it to the first letter:
Horticulturist have developed a set of standard abbreviation for genera used in hybridization. These abbreviation reflect those in the
Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Sander's List of Orchid Hybrids, the internationally recognized registrar of orchid hybrids. These abbreviations and variations are instead of the more unwieldy generic names, for example, in giving hybrid parentage and on identifying labels. The standard name is in bold, names marked with asterisks are used for genera that are not abbreviated by the RHS because they are not used in hybridization, but have received prizes from other organization such as the
American Orchid Society
Synonymy
If the name is a
synonym an not in current use, the
accepted name is given. The name is preceded by = for heterotypic synonyms (taxonomic synonyms; synonyms with a different type species), and with ≡ for homotypic synonyms (nomenclatural synonyms; synonyms that only differ in name). Note that not all species that once belonged to a synonymic genus are necessarily member of the currently accepted genus, some, or even most may have been placed in other genera. Names whose synonymy is not agreed are marked by ≈.
^
abcdeAustralian authorities recognize this segregate.
^A treatment of the genus as a section of Pleurothallis was published simultaneously by the same author due to an editorial oversight, making the publication invalid.
^Abola was homonymous with a previous name published by
Michel Adanson for Cinna L.
^Ackermania is also homonymous to Ackermannia, a genus of fungus.Because of this, some authorities the name synonymous only with Chondrorhyncha, the genus in which the species originally were, rather than Benzingia, where they eventually were placed.
^The genus Pabstiella was thought to be invalid, but had been validated after its original publication. Because Anthereon included the
type species of that genus, it was rendered illegitimate.
^Superfluous name for Corunastylis, now synonymized with Genoplesium.
^
abcOriginal publication invalid? Cite error: The named reference "attribution" was defined multiple times with different content (see the
help page).
^Cite error: The named reference aussie was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).