Neuwiedia is a genus

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 primitive orchids (family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Orchidaceae), comprising 9 terrestrial 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...

.

The type species is Neuwiedia veratrifolia Blume 1834

The genus is distributed in shaded, damp areas from Malaysia, Borneo, Java to the Philippines, New Guinea and southwest of the Pacific. Like the genus Apostasia

Apostasia

Apostasia may refer to:* Apostasia of 1965, a series of political events in Greece, which toppled the legally elected government of George Papandreou, senior* Apostasia orchid, a genus of primitive orchids , comprising 7 terrestrial species...

of the same subfamily, this genus is noted for having 3 fertile stamen

Stamen

The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...

s instead of only one as in the case of most orchids. Because of this primitive characteristics, the genus was considered by some as not being true orchids.

The genus was named by Carl Ludwig von Blume in honor of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied

Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied

Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied was a German explorer, ethnologist and naturalist....

 (1782-1859).

These primitive orchids are hairy, tall herbs without rhizomes. They grow long, plicate leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

. They produce an unbranched, erect, terminal inflorescence bearing usually white or yellow, nodding flowers.

Species

• Neuwiedia annamensis Gagnep. 1933
• Neuwiedia balansae Baill. ex Gagnep. 1933
• Neuwiedia borneensis de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia elongata de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia griffithii
  Neuwiedia griffithii
  Neuwiedia griffithii is a species of orchid that occurs from Vietnam, peninsular Malaysia to northern Sumatra....
  
  Rchb.f. 1874
• Neuwiedia inae de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia siamensis de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia veratrifolia Blume 1834
• Neuwiedia zollingeri
  Neuwiedia zollingeri
  Neuwiedia zollingeri is a species of orchid that occurs from Hainan Island to western Malesia....
  
  Rchb.f. 1857
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. javanica (J.J.Sm.) de Vogel 1969
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. singapureana (Wall. ex Baker) de Vogel 1969
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. zollingeri

Reference work

• Stern, W. L., V. Cheadle, and J. Thorsch. 1993 - Apostasiads, systematic anatomy, and the origins of Orchidaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 111: 411–45
• A. Kocyan, Y.-L. Qiu1, P. K. Endress, and E. Conti1 - A phylogenetic analysis of Apostasioideae (Orchidaceae) based on ITS, trnL-F and matK sequences; Plant Syst. Evol. (2004)
• Pridgeon, A.M.; Cribb, P.J.; Chase, M.W. & F. N. Rasmussen (1999): Genera Orchidacearum Vol.1, Oxford U. Press. ISBN 0-19-850513-2