Maxillaria species ID
 

I bought a noid Maxillaria this week and I’m curious to find out what it is. I know I’ll have to wait till it blooms, but once it does bloom, then what? Is there a key that I can start looking at? The tag said it’s from Ecuador. I’ll post a picture later.

A lot depends on what it looks like when it blooms... some species are distinctive, but there are also many that look similar so it is possible that it can only be placed in a group... "similar to..." There are lots of photos on the Ecuagenera website, knowing that it is from Ecuador, at least gives you a place to start looking.

A thought... was this one from Andy's Orchids? If it was one of his (Like Maxillaria sp. #51) you're not going to get an ID from a picture... there are some that he hasn't been able to determine either so they stay "Maxillaria sp." . It's a huge genus - Ecuador has several hundred Maxillaria species and more are still being discovered so sometimes even the experts can't be sure.

That’s exactly what I have! It’s an overgrown plant in a 6” pot densely covered with moss. I thought maybe the 51 was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Area 51. I’ll explore the Equagenera site.

If Andy can't identify it, you're not going to do better... he is one of the most knowledgeable people around with regard to orchid species, and he has access to lots of references that the rest of us don't have. That's what he does for a living. If he doesn't know what it is, he doesn't make things up... it's just Maxillaria sp. and the number he no doubt added to distinguish from other unidentified species that he also has. If you want to know what it looks like, scan the QR code on the tag . The QR code will take you to Andy's website with the info about the plant, and if you select Image, a picture. (If you want info about how to QR code apps, I can advise, it's native on iPhones)

(If you go to his Open House tomorrow or Sunday, I'll be there helping out)