Zygopetalum

Maxillarieae subtribe Zygopetalinae. The genus is divided into two sections. Zygopetalum section Ebulbosae Barbosa Rodrigues comprises just one species, Z. pedicellatum, having indeterminate vine-like growth without the production of pseudobulbs similar t

Caespitose or rarely climbing terrestrials and lithophytes. Roots fleshy, white. Pseudobulbs rarely absent, usually prominent, ovoid-globose. Leaves 2--3, lanceolate, acuminate. Inflorescences erect scapose racemes, usually basal and produced with the new growth, rarely axillary from an indeterminate shoot, the floral bracts prominent, subinflated, fleshy. Flowers showy, very fragrant. Sepals and petals subsimilar, subequal, free, spreading. Lip unlobed or three-lobed with the lateral lobes minute, articulated to the column foot, often velvety-pubescent, with a large fleshy transverse callus. Column fleshy, with a short foot and small wings; pollinia 4, in two unequal pairs, on a large common viscidium.

"A genus of about 15 species recorded from Brazil, Peru to Bolivia. Zygopetalum has been a ""catch-all"" genus for species now relegated to a large number of genera including Bollea, Cochleanthes, Galeottia, Huntleya, Kefersteinia, and Pescatorea. As a resu"

1 Growth indeterminate, without producing pseudobulbs. Z. pedicellatum 1' Growth determinate, with pseudobulbs. 2 2(1') Plants caespitose, without free rhizome segments between the pseudobulbs. 3 2' Plants trailing, with free rhizome segments separating the pseudobulbs. 7 3 Lip white with violet or rose-purple venation. 4 3' Lip purple without dark venation. Z. triste 4(3) Pubescence on the lip concentrated along the primary veins. Z. crinitum 4' Pubescence velvety all over the lip surface. 5 5(4') Sepals and petals almost solid maroon. Z. brachypetalum 5' Sepals and petals with about equal amounts of green background and brown spots. 6 6(5') Dorsal sepal to 1.8 in. (4.5 cm) long; column without any trichomes. Z. mackaii 6' Dorsal sepal to 1.3 in. (3.3 cm) long; column with a basal patch of trichomes. Z. maculatum 7(2') Dorsal sepal to 1 in. (2.5 cm) long; lip more than 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) wide. 8 7' Dorsal sepal to 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) long; lip less than 0.4 in. (1 cm) wide. 9 8(7) Lip wedge-shaped with a small apical notch. Z. graminifolium 8' Lip suborbicular without any apical notch. Z. maxillare 9(7') Leaves two; lip to 0.1 in. (3 mm) wide. Z. microphyton 9' Leaves 3--4; lip to 0.3 in. (7 mm) wide. Z. sellowii

Afzelius, K. 1959. Apomixis and polyembryony in Zygopetalum mackayi Hook. Acta Hort. Berg. 19(2):7-13; Brito, A. L. V. T. de 1980. Species novae in Brasilia Orchidacearum, I. Zygopetalum pabstii, Octomeria margaretae. Bradea 3:115-118; Castro N., V. P. and M. A. Campacci 19##. Novo Zygopetalum do Estado da Bahia. Orchidário 14(2):36-37; Garay, L. A. 1970. La identidad del Dendrobium maculatum HBK. Orquideologia 5:184-189; Garay, L. A. 1973. El Complejo Zygopetalum. Orquideologia 8:15-34, 51; Johnson, B. 1993. An introduction to the genus Zygopetalum. Australian Orchid Rev. 58(5):6-11; Senghas, K. 1994. Zygopetalum crinitum Lodd. 1830. Die Orchidee 45(5): Orchideenkartei Seite 781-782; Taylor, P. 2000. Zygopetalum maxillare Lodd. Orchids Austral. 12(5):18-19.