List of Orchids Genus - Orchids Worldwide

Orchids grow (nearly) everywhere. Only some desert countries (Mauritania, Kuwait, Western Sahara, Qatar, United Arab Emirates), some isolated, species poor islands (Ascension, St. Helena, Kerguelen, Tristan da Cunha etc.) and young coral atolls (Kiribati, Marshall Isl., Nauru) have no indigenous orchids. Desert regions are usually very poor in species, whereas orchids are remarkably tolerant to climate and reach into the far north (Greenland, Alaska) and in the subantarctic south (Tierra del Fuego, Macquarie Island). The number or species increases exponentially in the tropics and is extremely high in the mountainous tropics (Colombia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, etc.).

The highest numbers of species per region occur in Colombia, Ecuador, New Guinea, Brazil, Peru or Borneo. Large countries like China and India follow behind. In this statistics the Malesian islands are counted separately, however. Following political boundaries, Indonesia with over 5000 species would have by far the most species. The correct number for Indonesia can only be estimated, because a reasonable separation between Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea in todays boundaries cannot be made.

It is quite surprising that the relatively small Ecuador turns out to be the country with the most orchid species (about 4000) This is probably an artificial result and caused by a comparably good treatment of Ecuador. Colombia most certainly harbours more orchid species than Ecuador and catches up quickly by better accessibility in the last years. If the whole island is treated, New Guinea would also be a runner-up for the most orchid species per area.

Tropical Africa is comparably poor in species, which is the same situation as for vascular plants and insects in total. Madagascar alone has nearly as many species as the whole tropical Africa. A most likely reason is the near-absence of a real tropical mountain flora in Africa. Many scientists assume that the tropical African rainforest did shrink several times to small islands, caused by major climate shifts.

If considering species density per area, the well known and highly diverse Costa Rica, still covered with many rainforests and cloud forests, shows up in first place, followed by Panama and Ecuador. Within the small islands, La Réunion with its cloud forests and an amazing 229 species tops the density.

High endemism rates (of the species rich regions) are found on the isolated islands with an ancient flora (like Madagascar and New Caledonia), but also on tropical mountain islands like New Guinea, Brazil with a large surface area and the isolated atlantic forests, and, not surprisingly, Western Australia with an almost completely isolated floristic region.

Orchids Species Count approx. 30,000 Orchids

Acanthophippium
Acineta
Ada
Aerangis
Aeranthes
Aerides
Aganisia
Amesiella
Ancistrochilus
Angraecum
Anguloa
Anoectochilus
Ansellia
Arachnis
Arpophyllum
Arundina
Ascocentrum
Ascoglossum
Aspasia

Barbosella
Barkeria
Batemannia
Benzingia
Bifrenaria
Bletilla
Bonatea
Brassavola
Brassia
Broughtonia
Bulbophyllum

Cadetia
Caladenia
Calanthe
Catasetum
Cattleya
Cattleyopsis
Caularthron
Ceratostylis
Chaubardia
Chaubardiella
Chiloschista
Chondrorhyncha
Christensonia
Chysis
Cirrhaea
Cischweinfia
Clowesia
Cochlioda
Coelia
Coelogyne
Comparettia
Constantia
Coryanthes
Cuitlauzina
Cyclopogon
Cycnoches
Cymbidiella
Cymbidium
Cynorkis
Cyrtopodium

Dactylorhiza
Den. Sec. Amblyanthus
Den. Sec. Aporum
Den. Sec. Australorchis
Den. Sec. Bolbidium
Den. Sec. Breviflores
Den. Sec. Calcarifera
Den. Sec. Callista
Den. Sec. Calyptrochilus
Den. Sec. Conostalix
Den. Sec. Cuthbertsonia
Den. Sec. Dendrobium
Den. Sec. Dendrocoryne
Den. Sec. Dichopus
Den. Sec. Distichophyllum
Den. Sec. Dolichocentrum
Den. Sec. Eleutheroglossum
Den. Sec. Eriopexis
Den. Sec. Euphlebium
Den. Sec. Formosae
Den. Sec. Fytchianthe
Den. Sec. Herpetophytum
Den. Sec. Inobulbum
Den. Sec. Kinetochilus
Den. Sec. Latouria
Den. Sec. Lichenastrum
Den. Sec. Macrocladium
Den. Sec. Microphytanthe
Den. Sec. Monanthos
Den. Sec. Oxyglossum
Den. Sec. Oxystophyllum
Den. Sec. Pedilonum
Den. Sec. Phalaenanthe
Den. Sec. Platycaulon
Den. Sec. Pleianthe
Den. Sec. Rhizobium
Den. Sec. Rhopalanthe
Den. Sec. Spatulata
Den. Sec. Stachyobium
Den. Sec. Strongyle
Den. Sec. Tetrodon
Den. Sec. Trachyrhizum
Dendrobium
Dendrochilum
Dendrophylax
Dimerandra
Dinema
Dipteranthus
Disa
Dockrillia
Domingoa
Doritis
Dracula
Dresslerella
Dressleria
Dryadella

Elleanthus
Encyclia
Epidendrum
Epigeneium
Epistephium
Eria
Eriopsis
Erycina
Esmeralda
Euanthe
Eurystyles

Flickingeria

Galeandra
Gastrochilus
Gastrorchis
Gomesa
Gongora
Grammatophyllum
Grobya
Guarianthe

Helcia
Holcoglossum
HuntleyaIonopsis

Isabelia
Isochilus

Jacquiniella
Jumellea

Kefersteinia
Kingidium
Koellensteinia

Laelia
Laelia Sec.Cattleyodes
Laelia Sec.Hadrolaelia
Laelia Sec.Microlaelia
Laelia Sec.Parviflorae
Laeliopsis
Lankesterella
Lepanthes
Lepanthopsis
Leptotes
Liparis
Ludisia
Lycaste

Macodes
Macradenia
Malaxis
Masdevallia
Maxillaria
Mediocalcar
Miltonia
Miltoniopsis
Mormodes
Mormolyca
Myoxanthus
Myrmecophila

Neofinetia
Notylia

Oberonia
Octomeria
Odontoglossum
Oerstedella
Oncidium
Ophrys

Palumbina
Paphinia
Paphiopedilum
Papilionanthe
Papperitzia
Paraphalaenopsis
Peristeria
Phaius
Phalaenopsis
Pholidota
Phragmipedium
Platystele
Pleione
Pleurothallis
Polycycnis
Pomatocalpa
Porroglossum
Promenaea
Prosthechea
Psychopsis
Pterostylis

Renanthera
Restrepia
Restrepiella
Rhyncholaelia
Rhynchostylis
Robiquetia
Rossioglossum

Sarcochilus
Scaphosepalum
Schomburgkia
Scuticaria
Sedirea
Seidenfadenia
Sievekingia
Sobralia
Sophronitella
Sophronitis
Spathoglottis
Stanhopea

Telipogon
Thunia
Tolumnia
Trichocentrum
Trichoglottis
Trisetella
Tuberolabium

Vanda
Vandopsis
Vanilla

Warmingia

Zelenkoa
Zeuxine
Zootrophion
Zygopetalum
Zygostates