TWO NEW GENERA PROPOSED AS ADDITIONS TO THE SUBTRIBE

WELCOME TO THE SUBTRIBE TWO NEW GENERA AS PROPOSED BY THE AUTHORS OF THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED GENERA ORCHIDACEAUM VOLUME 5. THE PROPOSED NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ESTABLISHED FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SUBTRIBE, CATASETUM, CLOWESIA, CYCNOCHES, DRESSLERIA & MORMODES ARE GALEANDRA AND GROBYA. THE AUTHORS ADMIT THAT THIS MAY SEEM QUESTIONABLE BUT THEY SAY THEIR MOST RECENT MOLECULAR EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THESE TWO GENERA ARE SISTER TO THE ESTABLISHED GROUP. SO WHO ARE THE NEW ADDITIONS? WE SHALL SEE HOW THIS ADDITION IS ACCEPTED.

Galeandra is a popular and widely-grown genus of some 40 species ranging from Florida to southern Brazil. The largest group are from Brazil. Two new species recently have been described from Brazil and they are available from my friend Vitorino Castro. To represent the genus this is a picture of Galeandra devoniana.

The other genus, Grobya, in contrast is a small genus of five species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest and is not widely cultivated outside Brazil. To represent the genus, above to the right, is a picture of Grobya amherstiae which is also available on the lists of my friend Vitorino Castro.

PREVIOUSLY, TAXONOMISTS HAVE PLACED BOTH GENERA, ALONG WITH CYRTOPODIUM IN OR NEAR THE CATASETINAE SO THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE SURPRISE AS HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES FROM KEW. Over the next few years we shall see if this change is accepted in the orchid community but it is certainly worth notice.