#orchid

• Ansellia — A genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, named in honor of the botanist John Ansell. This taxonomic group comprises large plants with robust, cylindrical pseudobulbs and spectacular paniculate inflorescences, representing a unique structural element in African flora due to its adaptations to climates with prolonged dry seasons.
• Ansellia africana — A binomial scientific name for the single widely accepted species in the genus Ansellia (the leopard orchid), a vigorous epiphytic plant widespread in the savannas and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. The species is structurally renowned for its large, greenish-yellow flowers, heavily patterned with brown or chocolate spots, and for its ability to form massive colonies on the branches of large trees, strictly protected under international conventions on threatened flora.
• Aracnanthe — An alternative spelling variant for the orchid genus Arachnanthe (known modernly in taxonomy as Arachnis), characterized by epiphytic or lithophytic plants with long stems and spectacular flowers whose delicate petals mimic the leg shapes of a spider. This historical designation is frequently encountered in old botanical treatises and exotic collections of Southeast Asia.
• Arethusa — The Latinized name of Arethusa, a water nymph in Greek mythology transformed by Artemis into a sacred fountain in Ortygia, Syracuse, to escape the river-god Alpheus. In botany, it denotes a monotypic genus of terrestrial orchids (Arethusa bulbosa), native to North American bogs, structurally characterized by a single, prominent magenta-pink terminal flower and a spectacularly fringed lip.
• Arethusa — The Romanianized form for Arethusa; a nymph of springs in Greek mythology, transformed by Artemis into an underground watercourse to escape the river god Alpheus; it is also the scientific name of a genus of terrestrial orchids (Arethusa) native to North America or a species of butterfly. In a structural-mythological and geographical sense, her figure is tightly linked to the famous Fountain of Arethusa on Ortygia island (Syracuse), a symbol of aquatic purity and metamorphosed transformation.
• Arpophyllum — A neotropical genus of epiphytic or lithophytic plants within the Orchidaceae family, native to the humid tropical forests of Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is characterized by elongated pseudobulbs, rigid, often sickle- or strap-shaped leaves, and dense, cylindrical inflorescences composed of an impressive number of small, typically bright pink-purple flowers.
• Arpophyllum giganteum — A remarkable species of large epiphytic orchid within the Arpophyllum genus, distributed from Mexico down to Colombia and Venezuela. It is commonly nicknamed the 'hyacinth orchid' due to its spectacular, massive, and erect inflorescence, formed by a dense cluster of hundreds of small, vivid purple or intense pink flowers that visually resemble a giant hyacinth.
• Arpophyllum spicatum — A species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid belonging to the Arpophyllum genus, native to the humid mountainous zones of Mexico and Central America. It is distinguished by its dense, compact, and cylindrical spike-shaped inflorescences, composed of a multitude of small, vibrant, pink-purple flowers, adapted to capturing atmospheric moisture through its velamentous aerial roots.
• Ascocentrum — A genus of epiphytic plants in the Orchidaceae family, native to tropical Asia, characterized by short monopodial stems, rigid strap-like leaves, and dense inflorescences with small, brightly colored flowers in shades of pink, red, or orange, featuring a prominent nectar spur. Currently, its species have been largely reclassified taxonomically under the genus Vanda, but the original structural name remains widely used in horticulture and hybridization.
• Ascocentrum ampullaceum — A species of miniature epiphytic orchid native to the mountainous regions of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia, currently taxonomically classified under the genus Vanda (as Vanda ampullacea). It is highly prized by collectors for its dense, compact inflorescences consisting of numerous flowers of an intense pink-magenta color, which typically appear in spring and grow from the axils of the rigid, distichous leaves.
• Ascocentrum miniatum — A species of miniature epiphytic orchid native to Java, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, recently reclassified as Vanda miniata. It is famous among horticulturists due to its bright orange, extremely vibrant and numerous flowers, grouped in dense racemes that give the plant a flame-like appearance during its blooming period.
• Aspasia lunata — A species of epiphytic plants in the Orchidaceae family (orchids), native to the tropical forests of South America, particularly Brazil. Characterized by elongated and compressed pseudobulbs, the plant produces delicate inflorescences with flowers whose greenish-yellow petals and sepals are decorated with brown stripes or spots, standing out through a white-violet labellum, often crescent-shaped, an appearance from which the specific epithet 'lunata' originates.