Psychopsis

Butterfly orchid
	Psychopsis papilio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Cymbidieae
Subtribe:	Oncidiinae
Genus:	Psychopsis; Raf.
Synonyms
	Papiliopsis E.Morren ex Cogn. & Marchal; Papiliopsis E.Morren; Psychopsiella Lückel & Braem;

For the genus of net-winged insects, see Psychopsis (insect).

Psychopsis, abbreviated Psychp in horticultural trade, is a genus of 5 known species of orchids native to northern South America, Central America and Trinidad.^[1]^[2] It was formerly included in the massively paraphyletic "wastebin genus" Oncidium. The genus as a whole is commonly called butterfly orchids, but some species of other orchid genera are also called thus.

Psychopsis very often grows on the trunks and branches of trees. The flowers look like large butterflies with brightly colored bodies (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.

Species currently accepted as of June 2014:^[1]

Psychopsis krameriana (Rchb.f.) H.G.Jones - Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname
Psychopsis limminghei (E.Morren ex Lindl.) M.W.Chase - Brazil, Venezuela
Psychopsis papilio (Lindl.) H.G.Jones - Panama, Trinidad, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil
Psychopsis sanderae (Rolfe) Lückel & Braem - Peru, Brazil
Psychopsis versteegiana (Pulle) Lückel & Braem - Suriname, Ecuador

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
^ Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2009). Epidendroideae (Part two). Genera Orchidacearum 5: 1-585. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

External links

Media related to Psychopsis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Psychopsis at Wikispecies

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[kes-1] Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

[2] Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2009). Epidendroideae (Part two). Genera Orchidacearum 5: 1-585. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

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