CHAPTER XxXAie 
MAXILLARIA. 
ABOUT 120 species are included in this genus. They fall 
into three distinct groups: (1) With ovate pseudo-bulbs, 
large, strap-shaped leaves, and erect, one-flowered racemes ; 
example, M. grandiflora. (2) With ovate, ribbed pseudo- 
bulbs, large, plaited leaves, the lower half of which is 
narrow and stalk-like, and the flowers in dense racemes. 
(3) With climbing rhizomes, small pseudo-bulbs, grassy 
foliage, and numerous small flowers. The best of the 
second group are M. hyacinthina, M. elongata, and M. 
pallidiflora. Of the third group the best are M. variabilis, 
M. tenuifolia, and M. purpurata. None of these, however, 
are worth specially recommending here, those selected 
for description being the handsomest of the first group. 
The species of this genus are abundantly distributed from 
Mexico to Peru, and less numerously in the West Indies 
and Brazil. The flowers are somewhat fleshy, and they 
last many weeks before fading. 
The genus takes its name from a certain resemblance 
traced by its authors between the column and lip of the 
blossoms and the maxillze or jaws of insects. Many of the 
species of Lycaste were originally described as Maxillarias. 
One species (M. bicolor), which is not included in the 
present enumeration, is of some slight economic value 
