| Miltonia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Miltonia spectabilis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Cymbidieae |
| Subtribe: | Oncidiinae |
| Genus: | Miltonia Lindl. (1837) |
| Type species | |
| Miltonia spectabilis | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Miltonia, abbreviated Milt. in the horticultural trade,[2] is an orchid genus comprising twelve epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids.[3] The miltonias are exclusively inhabitants of Brazil,[3] except for one species whose range extends from Brazil into the northeast of Argentina and the east of Paraguay.[4]
The genus of Miltonia was established by John Lindley in 1837, when he described its type species, Miltonia spectabilis. Formerly many more species were attributed to Miltonia, however, beginning in 1978, the miltonias from Central America and from cooler areas of northwest South America have been moved to other genera, including Miltoniopsis and Oncidium, and these changes are still in the process of being accepted by the horticultural trade.[5]
Miltonia species have large and long lasting flowers, often in multifloral inflorescences. This fact, allied to being species that are easy to grow and to identify, make them a favorite of orchid collectors all over the world. Species of this genus are extensively used to produce artificial hybrids.
Despite the fact that Miltonia is now a well established genus, most of its species were originally classified under other genera as Cyrtochilum, Oncidium, Odontoglossum, and Brassia. All were discovered between 1834 and 1850 with the exception of M. kayasimae, discovered only in 1976.[needs update]
These orchids have two leaves, arising from a pseudobulb, covered with a foliaceous sheath. The inflorescence consists of waxy, nonspurred flowers. The lip is large and flat and lacks a callus at its base. They possess a footless column with two hard pollinia. The flowers have a delicate, exotic scent, some compare to that of roses.
They are named after Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam, formerly Viscount Milton, an English aristocrat, politician, patron of science and horticulture, and orchid enthusiast.[6]
The species in this genus are sometimes referred to as the pansy orchids, but it is the Miltoniopsis orchids that have flowers that closely resemble the pansy. Almost everyone except for the most serious orchid hobbyists uses the name pansy orchids interchangeably, which may cause confusion.
Miltonia looks more like Oncidiums than the other pansy orchids. The most "pansy-like" a Miltonia can get is the species Miltonia spectabilis. Taxonomists are debating whether to combine Miltonia with the genus Oncidium because of the many connections between the two.
Miltoniopsis is the pansy orchid with huge showy flowers. They grow in cooler climates and are more challenging to grow than Miltonia.
This genus forms with Miltoniopsis a hybrid genus ×Milmiltonia J.M.H.Shaw.
- ^ "WCSP: Genus Miltonia: Synonyms". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Compiled by R. Govaerts. 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Alphabetical List of Standard Abbreviations of Orchid Genera" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ a b "WCSP Search of Genera: Miltonia". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Compiled by R. Govaerts. 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Miltonia flavescens at WCSP". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Compiled by R. Govaerts. 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Schiff, Joel L. (8 December 2017). Rare and Exotic Orchids: Their Nature and Cultural Significance. Springer. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-3-319-70034-2. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (17 November 1999). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Vol. 3. CRC Press. p. 1696. ISBN 978-0-8493-2677-6. Retrieved 22 December 2018.