1986•Medical Entomology and ZoologyRequires access
The size of the Orchidaceae and the systematic distribution of epiphytic orchids
John T. Atwood
Open publisher page 145 citations
Abstract
An estimate ofthe number ofspecies in the Orchidaceae is determined to be 19,128. This numberagrees well with that ofDressler (1981) and suggests that ultimately there may be 20,000-23,000 species with an improbable maximum of25,000. No support is given for the claim that the family contains 35,000 species. Orchid epiphytes (13,962 species) account for 73 percent ofthe family, and 440 of 725 genera (60.7 percent) contain epiphytes.