Caularthron
Encyclopedia
Caularthron Raf. , abbreviated Cau. in the horticultural trade, is a genus
of orchids with 4 species
. They are epiphytic
orchids with specialized hollow pseudobulb
s that house ant
s. The genus is exclusively found in the neotropics.
Diacrium (Lindl.
) Benth.
(1881) has been brought into synonymy with Caularthron.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of orchids with 4 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. They are epiphytic
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
orchids with specialized hollow pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s that house ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s. The genus is exclusively found in the neotropics.
Diacrium (Lindl.
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
) Benth.
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
(1881) has been brought into synonymy with Caularthron.
List of species
- Caularthron amazonicum (Schltr.) H.G.Jones (1968)
- Caularthron bicornutum (Hook.) Raf. (1837) 2n = 40, n = 20.
- Caularthron bilamellatum (Rchb.f.) R.E.Schult. (1958)
- Caularthron kraenzlinianum H.G.Jones (1980