''Gongora'', abbreviated Gga in horticultural trade, is a member of the orchid family (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

). It consists of 65 species known from

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, and tropical

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, with most species found in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. They grow across a wide geographical range, from wet forests at sea level, to mountainous regions in the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

, as high as 1,800 m. The name comes from Antonio Caballero y Gongora, a

viceroy of New Granada Spanish viceroys of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717–1819) located in northern South America. Introduction The former territory within the Viceroyalty of New Granada corresponds to present day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Ven ...

(

and

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

) and the governor of Peru during the

Ruiz The Spanish surname Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a short form of Rodrigo, meaning "son of Roderick". Roderick's roots can be traced back to the Visigoths, the Germanic tribe which ruled in the Iberian Peninsula between the 5th an ...

and Pavón botanical expedition. ''Gongora'' was one of the first orchids described by a European. Several new ''Gongora'' orchids have been discovered in the 2000s-2010s, whilst many others have been re-grouped under different classifications. Yet there is still some confusion; Many species lack "appropriate" descriptions. Some species, such as ''Gongora portentosa'' and ''Gongora superflua'', are extremely isolated in population.

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

fingerprinting will, in time, contribute to an exact taxonomy of this genus. All species in this genus are

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s, with a

sympodial In botany, sympodial growth is a bifurcating branching pattern where one branch develops more strongly than the other, resulting in the stronger branches forming the primary shoot and the weaker branches appearing laterally. A sympodium, als ...

growth. The white

aerial roots Aerial roots are roots growing above the ground. They are often adventitious, i.e. formed from nonroot tissue. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids (''Orchidaceae''), tropical coastal swamp trees such ...

are very thin, growing in a dense mound. Some roots will travel, seeking out additional anchoring and nutrients, growing vertically/sideways rather than simply hanging down. This specialisation helps in forming the anchorage of the plant to its "host" tree. Many of these orchids are found in association with ant nests; the ants are, in turn, attracted to nectar droplets from the plant, as well as any pest insects (

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Of the more than 2,000 described species, many are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and ...

, etc.) that may be present on the orchid. However, the ants do not prey on these pests; the bugs suck sap from the orchid (or any plant), and ultimately create waste excrement in the form of a "sweet" liquid, referred to as ''honeydew''. Ants find this addicting; they will meticulously maintain the pest insect's population by caring for them, and guarding them, on the orchid plant. Whenever an ant is fatigued, they will simply approach an aphid/mealybug and "tap" its abdomen, communicating they are ready to "feed". The conical

pseudobulb In botany, a pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed ''heter ...

s are ridged and are about 8 cm long. In some species, such as ''Gongora similis'', the pseudobulb can produce up to six inflorescences in succession. Two alternate

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

originate from the end of each pseudobulb. The leaves are rather leathery and heavily veined, growing to a length of about 30 cm. The

racemose A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the shoo ...

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

grows from the base of the pseudobulbs. The stem first grows upright, but bends early in development and becomes pendulous. The numerous

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s hang upside down, with the

lip The lips are a horizontal pair of soft appendages attached to the jaws and are the most visible part of the mouth of many animals, including humans. Mammal lips are soft, movable and serve to facilitate the ingestion of food (e.g. sucklin ...

upwards. The almost circularly bent

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

s are characteristic of this genus. There are two lateral sepals and one dorsal sepal. The blooms of several species are waxy. The flowers of many species have distinctive fragrances. Some smell like unburned candle wax, others like nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon. The

pollinia A pollinium (: pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkwee ...

are superposed on a stipe (a cellular pollinium stalk), which is held by a viscid disc. The genus is closely related to ''

Cirrhaea ''Cirrhaea'' is a genus of orchids, comprising 7 recognized species, all Endemism, endemic to Brazil.Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil . Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro List of species # ''Cirrhaea depende ...

''. For other relatives see also ''

Stanhopeinae Stanhopeinae is a subtribe of plants in the tribe Cymbidieae. The subtribe in the strict sense, have viscidia and stipes that are thin and strap-like, they are adapted for attachment to edge of the bee's scutellum or to a leg. Pseudobulbs are us ...

'' & ''

Coeliopsidinae Coeliopsidinae is an orchid subtribe in the tribe Cymbidieae. The three members of this subtribe have traditionally been lumped in with Stanhopeinae, but obvious morphological traits and new molecular analysis by Whitten et al. in 2000 confirmed ...

''.

Species

According to Rod Rice in ''Infragen. Rev. Gen. Gongora'' (2002, 2003) the genus ''Gongora'' can be classified into subgenera and sections as follows: Subgenus Gongora *Section Aceras with four species *Section Gongora with about 30-33 species . atropurpurea, G. catilligera, G. latisepala, G. odoratissima, G. rufescens *Section Gratulabunda with four species *Section Grossa with five species *Section Truncata with nine species . charontis, G. dressleri,G. longipes, G. tracyana Subgenus Portentosa *one section with at least five species . escobariana, G. garayana, G. portentosa, G. sanderiana Subgenus

Acropera ''Gongora'' subg. ''Acropera'' is a subgenus of '' Gongora'', containing seven species. References * Orchid subgenera Acropera {{Cymbidieae-stub ...

*Section Acropera with one species *Section Armeniaca with two species and one to two subspecies *Section Cassidea with four species . amparoana, G. cassidea, G. galeata, G. tridentata ---- 250px, '' Gongora leucochila'' *''

Gongora aceras ''Gongora aceras'' is a species of orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants th ...

'' (Ecuador). *'' Gongora alfieana'' (S. America) *'' Gongora amparoana'' (Costa Rica). *'' Gongora arcuata'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora armeniaca'' (C. America) **''Gongora armeniaca'' subsp. ''armeniaca'' (C. America).. Pseudobulb epiphyte **''Gongora armeniaca'' subsp. ''cornuta'' (Nicaragua to Costa Rica). Pseudobulb epiphyte *'' Gongora aromatica'' (C. America) *'' Gongora atropurpurea'' (Trinidad and Tobago to S. Trop. America). *'' Gongora beyrodtiana'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora bufonia'' (SE. Brazil). *'' Gongora cassidea'' (Mexico - Chiapas) to C. America). *'' Gongora catilligera'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora charontis'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora chocoensis'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora claviodora'' (C. America). *'' Gongora colombiana'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora cruciformis'' (Peru). *'' Gongora dressleri'' (Panama). *'' Gongora ecornuta'' (Ecuador to Peru). *'' Gongora erecta'' (Peru). *'' Gongora escobariana'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora flaveola'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora fulva'' (Panama to Colombia). *'' Gongora galeata'' (Mexico to Guatemala). *'' Gongora galeottiana'' (SW. Mexico). *'' Gongora garayana'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora gibba'' (Costa Rica to Panama). *'' Gongora gratulabunda'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora grossa'' (Venezuela to Ecuador). *'' Gongora hirtzii'' (S. Colombia to Ecuador). *'' Gongora histrionica'' (Costa Rica to N. South America). *'' Gongora hookeri'' (Guyana to Peru). *'' Gongora horichiana'' (Costa Rica to Panama). *'' Gongora ileneana'' (Bolivia). *'' Gongora ilense'' (Ecuador). *'' Gongora irmgardiae'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora lagunae'' (Venezuela). *'' Gongora latibasis'' (Panama to Ecuador). *''

Gongora latisepala ''Gongora'', abbreviated Gga in horticultural trade, is a member of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). It consists of 65 species known from Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America, with most species found in Colombia. They grow acros ...

'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora leucochila'' (Mexico - Veracruz, Chiapas to C. America). *'' Gongora maculata'' (Trinidad, Guyana, Peru). **''Gongora maculata'' var. ''lactea'' (Trinidad) Pseudobulb epiphyte **''Gongora maculata'' var. ''maculata'' (Guyana, Peru). Pseudobulb epiphyte *'' Gongora minax'' (N. Brazil). *'' Gongora nigrita'' ( South America) *'' Gongora nigropunctata'' (N. Peru). *'' Gongora odoratissima'' (E. Colombia to Venezuela). *'' Gongora pardina'' (Ecuador). *'' Gongora passiflorolens'' (Colombia) *'' Gongora pleiochroma'' (N. & W. South America) *'' Gongora portentosa'' (Colombia). **''Gongora portentosa'' var. ''portentosa'' (Colombia) Pseudobulb epiphyte **''Gongora portentosa'' var. ''rosea'' (Colombia). Pseudobulb epiphyte *'' Gongora pseudoatropurpurea'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora quinquenervis'' (Colombia to Peru) : this species forms a complex for several ill-defined species *'' Gongora retrorsa'' (W. Venezuela) *'' Gongora rosea'' (Colombia to Peru). *'' Gongora rubescens'' (Ecuador). *'' Gongora rufescens'' (Colombia to Ecuador). *'' Gongora saccata'' (Mexico - Veracruz). *'' Gongora sanderiana'' (Colombia, Peru). *'' Gongora scaphephorus'' (Ecuador to Peru). *'' Gongora seideliana'' (Mexico - Chiapas). *''

Gongora similis ''Gongora'', abbreviated Gga in horticultural trade, is a member of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). It consists of 65 species known from Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America, with most species found in Colombia. They grow acros ...

'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora sphaerica'' (Colombia). *'' Gongora superflua'' (Ecuador). *'' Gongora tracyana'' (Colombia, Peru). *'' Gongora tridentata'' (Mexico - Chiapas to Guatemala). *'' Gongora truncata'' (Mexico to C. America) *'' Gongora unicolor'' (Mexico - Veracruz, Chiapas to C. America).

Intergeneric hybrids

* ''Houllora'' (''Gongora'' × ''Houlletia'') ''Orchid Review'', 108(1234): new orchid hybrids 15 (2000), IPNI ID#: 1014858-1 * ''Gonginia'' (''Gongora'' × ''Paphinia'') Sander's List Orchid Hybrids Addendum 2002-2004. xxxiv. 2005 (20 May 2005), IPNI ID: 77068862-1 * ''Polygora'' (''Gongora'' × ''Polycyncis'') ''Orchid Review'', 108(1234): new orchid hybrids 15 (2000), IPNI ID#: 1014858-1 * ''Stangora'' (''Gongora'' × ''Stanhopea'') ''Orchid Review'', 92(1091): centre page pull-out p. 8 (1984), IPNI ID#: 893423-1

References

* Jenny, Rudolf 1993. Monograph of the genus Gongora Ruiz & Pavón * W. Mark Whitten, Norris H. Williams and Mark W. Chase ''Subtribal and generic relationships of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae) with emphasis on Stanhopeinae: combined molecular evidence'', ''

American Journal of Botany The ''American Journal of Botany'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal which covers all aspects of plant biology. It has been published by the Botanical Society of America since 1914. The journal has an impact factor of 3.038, as of 20 ...

''. 2000;87:1842-1856 * International Plant Names Index (IPNI)

External links

International Plant Names Index (IPNI)

Photo collections of ''Gongora'' from Botanical Garden Munich
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2390653 Stanhopeinae genera Epiphytic orchids Taxa named by José Antonio Pavón Jiménez Taxa named by Hipólito Ruiz López