''Schunkea'' is a
monotypic genus
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s belonging to the 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 only known species is ''Schunkea vierlingii''.
It is native to south-eastern Brazil.
The genus name of ''Schunkea'' is in honour of Vital Schunk (
fl.
''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
1990–1999), co-collector of this plant in southeast Brazil. The Latin
specific epithet
In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
of ''vierlingii'' refers to botanist and plant collector, Gerhard Vierling (fl. 2016), who later published ''
Seegeriella senghasiana'' in OrchideenJ. Vol.23 (Issue 2) on page 80 in 2016. In honour of Seghas.
Both the genus and the species were first described and published in Palmengarten Vol.58 on page 128 in 1994.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q6122467, from2=Q15499494
Oncidiinae
Oncidiinae genera
Monotypic Epidendroideae genera
Plants described in 1994
Flora of Southeast Brazil