Orchid Information - Family Orchidaceae Subfamily Epidendroideae Tribe Cymbidieae

Cymbidieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Cymbidiinae. Type species Cymbidium Sw.

Synonyms:

• Cryptarrheneae (Dressler) Dressler, Phytologia 21 (1971) 443. Type species Cryptarrhena Lindl.
• Cycnochideae Rchb.f., Xen. Orch. 1 (1855) 109. Type species Cycnoches Lindl.
• Cataseteae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Catasetinae. Type species Catasetum.L. C. Rich.
• Cyrtopodieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Cyrtopodiinae. Type species Cyrtopodium R.Br.
• Dichaeeae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Dichaeinae. Type species Dichaea Lindl.
• Galeandreae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill. 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species Galeandra Lindl.
• Gongoreae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Gongorinae. Type species Gongora Ruiz & Pav.
• Huntleyeae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Huntleyinae. Type species Huntleya Bateman ex Lindl.
• Ionopsideae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill. 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species lonopsis Kunth
• Lycasteae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord Orch. (1887) 105, as Lycastiinae. Type species Lycaste Lindl.
• Maxillarieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Maxillariinae. Type species Maxillaria Ruiz & Pav.
• Notylieae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill. 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species Notylia Lindl.
• Oncidieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Oncidiinae. Type species Oncidium Sw.
• Ornithocephaleae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill. 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species Ornithocephalus Hook.
• Ornithocephaleae Szlach., Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Suppl. (1995) 3 99. Type species Ornithocephalus Hook
• Pachyphylleae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill. 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species Pachyphyllum Lindl.
• Stenieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Steniinae. Type species Stenia Lindl.
• Telipogonieae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Telipogoniinae. Type species Telipogon Ruiz & Pav.
• Vargasielleae Dunsterv. & Garay, Venez. Orch. Ill 2 (1961) 29, sine descr. Type species Vargasiella C. Schweinf.
• Zygopetaleae Pfitzer, Entw. Nat. Anord. Orch. (1887) 105, as Zygopetalinae. Type species Zygopetalum Hook.

Epiphytes, terrestrials or lithophytes, usually sympodial or, less often monopodial, herbaceous, rarely leafless heteromycotrophic terrestrials. Roots glabrous. Rhizome creeping. Stems erect, simple, flexible to stiff, terete to laterally compressed, not swollen or a swollen pseudobulb, with 1- to several-nodes. Leaves 1 to several, rarely absent or reduced to scale leaves, plicate or conduplicate, often distichous , alternate, stiffly herbaceous to hard-coriaceous, blade dorsoventrally flattened, rarely bilaterally flattened or semi-terete, articulate or not, linear, lanceolate, ovate, obovate or elliptic; leaf sheath present or absent, rarely tubular, clasping the stem, imbricate. Inflorescence basal, lateral or rarely subapical, racemose or paniculate; floral bracts often imbricate, sometimes alternating in 2 rows, usually persistent. Flowers 1 to many, usually resupinate, opening in succession or simultaneously, sometimes gregarious, long-lived to ephemeral, bisexual or unisexual (Catasetinae), bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetric (Mormodes, some Rodriguezia). Sepals free, thin textured to fleshy; lateral sepals asymmetric, keeled or not. Petals free, elliptic or oblong to linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, asymmetric, usually thinner than the sepals. Lip immobile or hinged to the column or column foot, not lobed, 3­ lobed or 2- or 3-partite, rarely twisted (Mormodes, some Rodriguezia), usually without a spur, sometimes with a short spur or saccate; lateral lobes in front pronounced; in Coryanthes hypochile with 2 nectariferous glands, mesochile tubular and sometimes fluted, and epichile bucket-shaped; when present, callus ligulate, more pronounced at the top, composed of ridges, keels or hairs. Column curved, rarely twisted (Mormodes), sometimes with wing­ like lateral auricles or wings, rarely with basal sensitive antennae (Catasetum); anther cap hinged at the base; pollinia 2, equal, or 4, usually unequal, flat, lanceolate-ovoid to triangular-ovoid; stipes (tegula) usually 1, rarely 2, sometimes elastic; viscidium present; stigma cup-shaped; rostellum 1- 3-lobed. Fruit with 6 longitudinal ribs, perianth persistent.
(after Cribb 2009)

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