''Govenia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of flowering plants belonging to 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 ...

. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London. The species in this genus are

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

or sometimes

epiphytic 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 ...

, and native to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, Central and

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 ...

, the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> This genus has

corm Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ''c ...

ous, egg-shaped

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 and thin,

plicate Plicata, ''plicate'', ''plicated'', ''pleated'' or ''folded'' in Latin, may refer to: * Lingua plicata, a benign condition characterized by deep grooves in the dorsum of the tongue * Pars plicata The pars plicata (also known as corona ciliaris ) ...

leaves that are always paired. According to the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

, ''Gov.'' is the official abbreviation for this genus.

Species

The following species are recognized as of June 2014: # '' Govenia alba'' A. Rich. & Galeotti 1845 # ''

Govenia bella ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' E.W. Greenw. 1987 (Oaxaca, Mexico) # '' Govenia ciliilabia'' Ames & C. Schweinf. 1930 (Costa Rica; El Salvador; Panama) # ''

Govenia dressleriana ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' E.W. Greenw. 1993 (El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico) # ''

Govenia elliptica ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' S. Watson 1891 (Mexico) # '' Govenia fasciata'' Lindl. 1843 (Venezuela) # '' Govenia floridana'' P.M. Br. 2000 (Florida; extinct) # ''

Govenia greenwoodii ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Dressler & Soto Arenas 2003 (Honduras) # ''

Govenia jouyana ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' R. González 1983 # ''

Govenia lagenophora ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Lindl. 1839 (El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico) # ''

Govenia latifolia ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' (Kunth) Garay & G.A.Romero 1999 # ''

Govenia liliacea ''Govenia liliacea'' is a species of orchid. Its native range extends from Chihuahua south to Panama.Laferrière, J.E. 1994. Vegetation and flora of the Mountain Pima village of Nabogame Yepáchic, sometimes spelled Yepáchi, is a community in ...

'' (Lex.) Lindl. 1835 (Mexico; Central America) # ''

Govenia matudae ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' E.W.Greenw. & Soto Arenas 2002 # ''

Govenia praecox ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Salazar & E.W. Greenw. 1993 (Veracruz, Mexico) # ''

Govenia purpusii ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Schltr. 1918 # ''

Govenia quadriplicata ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Rchb. f. 1866 # ''

Govenia rubellilabia ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' García-Cruz 2006 # ''

Govenia sodiroi ''Govenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the orchid family Orchidaceae. The type species, ''Govenia superba'', was transferred from ''Maxillaria superba'' and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horti ...

'' Schltr. 1921 (Ecuador) # '' Govenia superba'' (La Llave & Lex.) Lindl. ex Lodd. 1831 : El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico) # '' Govenia tequilana'' Dressler & Hágsater 1973 (Mexico) # '' Govenia tingens'' Poepp. & Endl. 1837-1838 (Ecuador; Peru) # '' Govenia utriculata'' (Sw.) Lindl. 1839 (Bolivia; Ecuador; Argentina) # '' Govenia viaria'' Dressler 2002 # '' Govenia vilcabambana'' Dodson 1994 (Ecuador)

References

* (1853) The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants 153. * (2006). Epidendroideae (Part One). Genera Orchidacearum 4: 103 ff. Oxford University Press.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1890526 Calypsoinae genera