''Paphinia'', abbreviated in horticultural trade Pna, is a genus 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 that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...
s, composed of an estimated 16 species 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 ...
, northern
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 ...
and
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 ...
. These species are medium-sized
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 small ovoid
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 2 or more leaves. The generic name comes from the Greek ''Paphia'', the name of
Aphrodite
Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...
of Cyprus.
Most authorities consider the genus rare.
Species accepted as of June 2014:
# ''
Paphinia benzingii''
Dodson & Neudecker – Ecuador
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Paphinia cristata''
(Lindl.) Lindl. – Trinidad, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, northern Brazil
# ''
Paphinia dunstervillei''
Dodson & G.A.Romero – Venezuela
# ''
Paphinia grandiflora''
Barb.Rodr. – northern Brazil
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Paphinia herrerae''
Dodson – Ecuador
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Paphinia hirtzii''
Dodson – Ecuador
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Paphinia levyae''
Garay – Ecuador
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Paphinia lindeniana''
Rchb.f. – Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru
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Paphinia litensis''
Dodson & Neudecker – Ecuador
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Paphinia neudeckeri''
Jenny – Ecuador, Colombia
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Paphinia posadarum''
Dodson & R.Escobar – Ecuador, Colombia
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Paphinia rugosa''
Rchb.f. – Colombia
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Paphinia seegeri''
G.Gerlach – Colombia
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Paphinia subclausa''
Dressler – Costa Rica
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Paphinia vermiculifera''
G.Gerlach & Dressler – Panama
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Paphinia zamorae''
Garay – Ecuador
Hybrids include:
*''Paphinia'' Majestic (''P. cristata'' x ''P. herrerae'')
*''Paphinia'' Memoria Remo Lombardi (''P. herrerae'' x ''P. lindeniana'')
*''Gonginia'' (''Gongora'' x ''Paphinia''), an intergeneric hybrid
References
External links
*
International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2473744
Stanhopeinae genera
Epiphytic orchids