Koellensteinia

Reichenbach f. 1854

Pronunciation:

kehl-en-STINE-ee-a (click on the name to hear it spoken)
Tribe: Maxillarieae 
Subtribe: Zygopetalinae


Koellensteinia is a tropical genus of mostly delicate terrestrial plants that are mainly found in Brazil but sometimes venture into neighboring countries. Very rarely, a few species can be found as epiphytes. The genus was described by H. G. Reichenbach, with the transfer of Zygopetalum tricolor (described by John Lindley) to Koellensteinia tricolor and the name honors Kellner von Kollenstein, an Austrian captain of the nineteenth century. In Brazil, plants occur in all regions and most states. Plants that occur near or on the coast, such as Koellensteinia altissima, usually grow at sea level on the beach sand dunes, that is, on sandy soil. These plants typically grow protected from direct sunlight by shrubs and grasses, but the long upright inflorescences usually show the flowers above the protecting foliage. Species more to the interior can be found on wet sandy areas or drier clay soils, but always where there is moisture available at least part of the year. The most widespread species is Koellensteinia tricolor, which can be found all over Brazil and also Peru, Guyana and probably other Amazon/Andean countries. Flowers of Koellensteinia species are usually small (3/4” average), and are mostly bunched at or near the top of upright thin and long inflorescences (in the case of K. altissima, they can be up to more than 6’ - 1,80 m.).

Number of species:

The World Monocot Checklist currently recognizes 17 species. (2007)

Distribution:

Tropical America.