Orchidaceae (orchids)

Family: Orchidaceae (orchids)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales

There are about 800 genera and 20 000 (cosmopolitan, but mainly in moist regions), of which 63 genera and about 681 species are native to southern Africa. An additional 100 genera and 390 species are cultivated in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Kurzweil (2000).

Acampe Ten species (Old World tropics, mainly Asia) of which one, Acampe pachyglossa, is native to southern Africa (Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Mozambique). See Flora of Zimbabwe. An additional species from India and Sri Lanka, Acampe praemorsa, is cultivated in the region.
Acrolophia Seven species, endemic to southern Africa.
Aerangis About 50 species (Africa and Mascarene Islands), of which eight are native to southern Africa. An additional five species are cultivated in the region. Pollinated by hawkmoths.
Aeranthes Two species native to southern Africa and three species cultivated.
Angraecopsis Fifteen species worldwide, of which three are native to southern Africa.
Angraecum About 200 species (Africa, Madagascar and Mascarene Islands, Sri Lanka), of which 11 are native to southern Africa. An additional seven species are cultivated in the region.
Ansellia One species: Ansellia africana (tropical Africa through to southern Africa). See Flora of Zimbabwe.
Bartholina Two species, endemic to southern Africa (S Namibia, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape).
Bolusiella Five species (tropical and southern Africa), of which two, Bolusiella maudiae and Bolusiella iridifolia (recorded from Zimbabwe), are native to southern Africa.
Bonatea Twenty species (Arabian Peninsula to E Africa to southern Africa), of which 10 are native to southern Africa.
Brachycorythis Thirty-three species (Africa and tropical Asia) of which 10 are native to southern Africa (summer rainfall regions).
Brownleea Seven species (Africa and Madagascar), all of which are native to southern Africa.
Bulbophyllum About 1000 species (world tropics and subtropics), of which 12 are native to southern Africa. An additional six species are cultivated in the region.
Calanthe About 200 species (Asia, Australasia and Madagascar), of which one, Calanthe sylvatica, is native to southern Africa. See Flora of Zimbabwe.
Calyptrochilum One species native to southern Africa - Calyptrochilum christyanum (recorded from Zimbabwe).
Centrostigma Three species (south tropical Africa), of which two, Centrostigma occultans and Centrostigma papillosum (recorded from Zimbabwe), are native to southern Africa.
Ceratandra Six species, endemic to Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Chaseella Chaseella pseudohydra is native to southern Africa, recorded from Zimbabwe.
Cheirostylis About 22 species (Old World tropics and subtropics) of which one, Cheirostylis gymnochiloides, is native to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Zimbabwe).
Corycium The fourteen species are all native to southern Africa but the genus is distributed as far north as Malawi and Tanzania.
Corymborkis Five species (Old and New World tropics), with one species, Corymborkis corymbis, native to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape).
Cynorkis About 125 species (Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, Africa), with six species native to southern Africa.
Cyrtorchis About 16 species (Africa), with four species native to southern Africa. An additional species is cultivated in the region.
Diaphananthe About 50 species (tropical and subtropical Africa), with four species native to southern Africa. An additional species is cultivated in the region.
Didymoplexis About 20 species (mainly Asian tropics, also Africa), with two species native to southern Africa.
Disa About 162 species (Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar and Mascarene Islands), with 149 species native to southern Africa.
Disperis About 84 species (Africa, Madagascar, East Asia), with 30 species native to southern Africa.
Dracomonticola One species, Dracomonticola virginea, found in rock crevices and grassy ledges in the Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho).
Eulophia About 250 species (pantropical), with 80 species native to southern Africa.
Evotella One species, Evotella rubiginosa, endemic to the Western Cape and regarded as rare.
Goodyera One species native to southern Africa, Goodyera afzelii, recorded from Mozambique.
Habenaria About 800 species (tropics and subtropics), with 75 species native to southern Africa. An additional species is cultivated in the region.
Holothrix About 55 species (Africa and Arabian Peninsula), with 23 species native to southern Africa.
Huttonaea Five species, endemic to southern Africa.
Jumellea About 45 species (mainly Madagascar and Mascarene Islands, also Africa), with one species, Jumellea filicornoides, native to southern Africa. An additional two species are cultivated in the region.
Liparis About 250 species (cosmopolitan), with nine species native to southern Africa. An additional three species are cultivated in the region.
Margelliantha One species recorded in southern Africa - Margelliantha caffra. [= Diaphananthe caffra]
Microcoelia About 27 species (Africa and Madagascar), with six species native to southern Africa.
Mystacidium Nine species (southern and south-central Africa), of which eight occur in southern Africa.
Neobolusia Three species (eastern, central and southern Africa), all occurring in southern Africa.
Nervilia About 60 species (Africa, Asia and Australia), with 11 species native to southern Africa.
Oberonia About 100 species (mainly Asian tropics, also Australasia and Africa), with one species, Oberonia disticha, native to southern Africa.
Oeceoclades Thirty-one species (pantropical), with six species native to southern Africa.
Oligophyton One species, Oligophyton drummondii, native to tropical Africa (including Zimbabwe).
Pachites Two rare species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Phaius One species native to southern Africa - Phaius occidentalis (recorded from Zimbabwe).
Platycoryne Six species native to southern Africa.
Platylepis About 10 species (African and Mascarene Islands), with one species, Platylepis glandulosa, native to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Zimbabwe and Mozambique).
Polystachya About 200 species (mainly Africa, also Asian, Australasian and American tropics), with 27 species native to southern Africa. An additional three species are cultivated in the region.
Pterygodium Nineteen species, all of which are native to southern Africa.
Rangaeris Six species (tropical and subtropical Africa, with two species, Rangaeris muscicola(KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Zimbabwe, see Flora of Zimbabwe) and Rangaeris amaniensis (recorded from Zimbabwe, see Flora of Zimbabwe), recorded in southern Africa. Pollinated by hawkmoths.
Rhipidoglossum Three species recorded in southern Africa.
Satyrium About 88 species (Africa, to East Asia), with 54 species native to southern Africa.
Schizochilus Eleven species (eastern and southern Africa), with 10 species native to southern Africa.
Schwartzkopffia One species native to southern Africa - Schwartzkopffia lastii (recorded from Zimbabwe).
Solenangis Five species (tropical Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands), with two species, Solenangis aphylla and Solenangis conica (recorded from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, see Flora of Zimbabwe), native to southern Africa.
Stenoglottis Seven species recorded in southern Africa.
Stolzia Three species native to southern Africa.
Summerhayesia One species native to southern Africa, Summerhayesia zambesiaca, recorded from Zimbabwe.
Taeniophyllum One species, Taeniophyllum coxii, native to tropical Africa (including Zimbabwe).
Tridactyle About 42 species (sub-Saharan Africa), with seven species native to southern Africa. An additional two species are cultivated in the region.
Vanilla About 100 species (tropics), with two species native to southern Africa. In addition, the plant used as the natural source of vanilla, Vanilla planifolia (which originates from Central and South America), is cultivated in the region.
Ypsilopus Four species (East Africa through to southern Africa), with one species, Ypsilopus erectus (see Flora of Zimbabwe), native to southern Africa
Zeuxine About 76 species (Old World tropics and subtropics), with three species native to southern Africa.

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided for genera where only one species has been recorded as being cultivated in southern Africa.

Acriopsis javanica (Ruhini, Angrek darat) Indigenous from Thailand to Australia.
Aerides Six species cultivated.
Angraecopsis amaniensis Native to tropical Africa.
Anguloa ruckerii Native to Colombia.
Ania penangiana Indigenous from northeast India to Malaysia.
Anoectochilus formosanus Native to Taiwan and Japan.
Ascocentrum Four species cultivated.
Ascoglossum calopterum Native to New Guinea.
Bifrenaria inodora Native to Brazil.
Bletia catenulata Indigenous from Colombia to Bolivia.
Bletilla Three species cultivated.
Bothriochilus Two species cultivated.
Brassavola Four species cultivated.
Brassia Four species cultivated.
Cadetia taylorii Native to Australia.
Calyptrochilum christyanum Native to tropical Africa.
Catasetum Two species cultivated.
Cattleya Eight species cultivated.
Chondrorhyncha amazonica Native to tropical South America.
Cirrhopetalum sikkimense Native to the eastern Himalayas.
Cochlioda noezliana Native to Peru and Bolivia.
Coelogyne Five species cultivated.
Cribbia brachyceras Native to tropical Africa.
Cryptophoranthus Two species cultivated.
Cryptopus elatus Native to the Mascarene Islands.
Cymbidium Six species cultivated.
Cyperorchis Two species cultivated.
Cypripedium Three species cultivated
Cyrtopodium punctatum Indigenous from Costa Rica to Brazil.
Dendrobium Fifty-eight species cultivated.
Dendrochilum glumaceum Native to the Philippines.
Dimerandra stenopetala
Diplocaulobium chrysotropis Native to New Guinea.
Dracula Ten species cultivated.
Elleanthus wagenerii Native to Venezuela.
Embreea rodigasiana Native to Colombia and Ecuador.
Encyclia Two species cultivated.
Epidendrum Nine species and one hybrid cultivated.
Eria inornata Native to Australia.
Eriopsis biloba Indigenous from Costa Rica to Bolivia.
Gastrochilus Five species cultivated.
Graphorkis scripta Native to Madagascar and Mascarene Islands.
Grobya amherstiae Native to Brazil.
Haemaria discolor Native to China.
Helcia sanguinolenta Native to Ecuador.
Hexisea bidentata Indigenous from Central America to Peru.
Holcoglossum quasipinifolium Native to Taiwan.
Huntleya fasciata Native to Panama.
Isochilus linearis Indigenous from Mexico to Brazil.
Kefersteinia Two species cultivated.
Laelia Seven species cultivated.
Lanium avicula Native to Peru and Brazil.
Leptotes bicolor Native to Brazil and Paraguay.
Luisia teretifolia Indigenous from Indonesia to Guam.
Lycaste Five species cultivated.
Masdevallia Thirty-eight species cultivated.
Maxillaria Thirteen species cultivated.
Miltonia Three species cultivated.
Mormodes convoluta Native to Brazil.
Neogardneria murrayana Native to Brazil.
Odontoglossum Ten species cultivated.
Oeoniella polystachys Indigenous from Madagascar to the Seychelles.
Oncidium Twenty-one species cultivated.
Orchis graminifolia (Ucho-ran) Native to Japan.
Ornithophora radicans Native to Brazil.
Palumbina candida Native to Guatemala.
Paphiopedilum Thirteen species cultivated.
Pescatorea lehmanii Native to Colombia and Ecuador.
Phaius Two species cultivated.
Phalaenopsis Five species cultivated.
Pholidota pallida Indigenous from Burma to Australia.
Phragmipedium Three species cultivated.
Physosiphon tubatus Native to Mexico and Guatemala.
Plectrophora cultrifolia Native to Brazil.
Pleione Two species cultivated.
Pleurothallis Five species cultivated.
Pogonia japonica Native to Japan, Korea and China.
Porroglossum echidna Native to Colombia and Ecuador.
Promenaea xanthina Native to Brazil.
Renanthera Four species cultivated.
Restrepia antennifera Indigenous from Venezuela to Ecuador.
Rhynchostylis Two species cultivated.
Rodriguezia Two species cultivated.
Sarcochilus japonicus Native to Japan.
Scaphosepalum gibberosum Native to Colombia.
Schlimmia trifida Native to Colombia.
Schomburgkia Two species cultivated.
Scuticaria kautzkyi Native to Brazil.
Sobralia Three species cultivated.
Sophronitella violacea Native to Brazil.
Stanhopea Four species cultivated.
Stelis Two species cultivated.
Thunia Two species cultivated.
Trichoceros parviflorus Indigenous from Colombia to Bolivia.
Trichoglottis Two species cultivated.
Trichoplia Three species cultivated.
Trizeuxis falcata Indigenous from Costa Rica to Bolivia.
Vanda Seven species cultivated.
Xylobium Two species cultivated.
Zygopetalum Two species cultivated.

Publications (by date)

Kurzweil, H. 2000. Orchidaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 644-659. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Steiner KE, Kaiser R, Dötterl S. 2011. Strong phylogenetic effects on floral scent variation of oil-secreting orchids in South Africa. American Journal of Botany 98(10): 1663-1679. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1100141