"Aa"

[Angurek]

I was browsing the orchids species website, and I came across this genus. I can't help but wonder what the genus name means (did the taxonomist who named this genus get lazy and stick two A's together to get a name?)

I'm guessing these guys are fly-pollinated? It would be pretty cool to see them in situ.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/aapaleacea.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/aaargyloepsis.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/aacolombiana.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/aasp.htm

[lambelkip]

the name doesn't mean anything, but it was not a matter of being lazy, Reichenbach made up the name in order to make sure it would always be first in the list. I'm not sure what polinates them.

what's the plant in your avatar?

[RosieC]

Cool, not come across that one before.

[Angurek]

Originally Posted by lambelkip

the name doesn't mean anything, but it was not a matter of being lazy, Reichenbach made up the name in order to make sure it would always be first in the list. I'm not sure what polinates them.

what's the plant in your avatar?

I always thought the name had some sort of special meaning, referring to the phenotype of the plant or alluding to an individual who discovered it. Still, it's interesting to find out that it was merely used as a placeholder.

The orchid in my avatar is a Pescatorea lehmannii. It's one of my all-time favorite orchids.

[PaphMadMan]

It has also been suggested that the genus was named for Pieter van der Aa, a Dutch publisher and printer of maps, atlases and botanical texts.