Maxillaria

Maxillaria, abbreviated as Max in the horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely.They are commonly called spider orchids, flame orchids or tiger orchids. Their scientific name is derived from the Latin word maxilla, meaning jawbone, reflecting on the column and the base of the lip of some species, that may evoke a protruding jaw. Recent molecular studies have found Maxillaria as it has long been viewed to be an unnatural hodgepodge composed of groups not closely related to each other. Hence it has been proposed that the genus should be split into several genera, proposals that have been gaining acceptance. Some of the species long considered members of Maxillaria have been moved to other genera: Camaridium, Heterotaxis, Ornithidium, Brasiliorchis, Christensonella, Nitidibulbon, Sauvetrea, Inti, Mapinguari, Maxillariella, Rhetinantha, Mormolyca. Maxillaria species still included in the smaller version of the genus are distributed in the rainforest at sea level to elevations of 3,500 m, in Latin America from central Mexico to Bolivia, as well as in the West Indies. This is an indication for the different temperature requirements, from warm growing to cold growing, within the genus. They are mostly epiphytes, rather large in size, but some are terrestrials or even lithophytes (such as M. rupestris).