Psychopsis
- For the genus of net-winged insects, see Psychopsis (insect).
| Psychopsis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Psychopsis papilio | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Cymbidieae |
| Subtribe: | Oncidiinae |
| Alliance: | Trichophilia |
| Genus: | Psychopsis Raf. |
| Species | |
|
4, see text |
|
Psychopsis, abbreviated Psychp in horticultural trade, is a genus of only four species of orchids distributed from the West Indies and Costa Rica to Peru, where it grows on the trunks and branches of trees. It used to be contained in the massively paraphyletic "wastebin genus" Oncidium. The monotypic Psychopsiella is closely related to and sometimes merged with Psychopsis.
The genus as a whole is commonly called butterfly orchids, but some species of other orchid genera are also called thus. The Psychopsis flower looks like a large butterfly with a brightly-colored body (the lip, a modified petal), very long antennae-like petals, and outspread wing-like dappled yellow and brown sepals. The butterfly orchid is rumored to have started the European "Orchidmania" of the 19th century.
In the narrow sense, Psychopsis consists of 4 species:
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Psychopsis |
| This Cymbidieae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
