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|genus=Lycaste

|genus=Lycaste

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|image=Lycaste longipetala Orchi 01.jpg

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{{Inc|

Lycaste (fanciful name). Orchidaceae. Epiphytic and terrestrial orchids; very popular as greenhouse subjects.

Lycaste (fanciful name). Orchidaceae. Epiphytic and terrestrial orchids; very popular as greenhouse subjects.

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==Cultivation==

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| name = Lycaste

| image = Lycaste longipetala Orchi 01.jpg

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<center>See text</center>

 

''Lycaste'' is a genus of [[orchid]]s that contains about 30 species with egg-shaped [[pseudobulb]]s and thin, plicate (pleated) [[Leaf|leaves]]. The horticultural abbreviation is Lyc.

 

''Lycaste'' [[flower]]s, like all orchid blooms, have three [[petal]]s and three [[sepal]]s.  The petals are typically yellow, white, or orange, and the sepals are yellow, orange, green, or reddish brown.  The petals and sepals may be marked sparsely or densely with red, reddish purple, purple, or reddish brown spots.  The [[Labellum|lip]] (ventral petal) may be very similar to the other two petals, as in ''Lycaste aromatica'' or ''Lycaste brevispatha'', or colored quite distinctively, as in several subspecies and varieties of ''Lycaste macrophylla''.  Most ''Lycaste'' flowers are medium in size, averaging about 5 to 10 cm, but ''Lyc. schilleriana'' is 16-18 cm across.  Some ''Lycaste'' blooms have a unique fragrance - the scent of ''Lyc. aromatica'' has been variously described as cinnamon or clove.  The blooms of the species ''Lyc. cochleata'', ''consobrina'', and ''cruenta'' also have a pleasant scent.

== Family Relationships ==

===Propagation===

''Lycastes'' are members of the subtribe Lycastinae [[Schlechter]], which also includes the genera ''Anguloa'', ''Bifrenaria'', ''Horvatia'', ''Ida'', ''Neomoorea'', ''Rudolphiella'', ''Teuscheria'', and ''Xylobium''.  Lycastinae is a member of the orchid tribe [[Maxillarieae]], which includes the large and well-known orchid genera ''Maxillaria'', ''Odontoglossum'', ''Oncidium'', and ''Stanhopea''.  The [[Maxillarieae]] are part of the family Orchidaceae.

===Pests and diseases===

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The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by the [[Royal Botanic Gardens]] at Kew, is recognized by the American Orchid Society as the definitive authority on orchid taxonomy. The Checklist currently acknowledges 31 species of ''Lycaste'', 3 natural hybrids, 2 subspecies (and 1 nominate subspecies), and 1 variety. Orchid growers and orchid collectors, who tend to be taxonomic "splitters" more often than "lumpers" (see [[lumpers and splitters]]), recognize additional subspecies and varieties of ''Lycaste'', as well as alba (white) forms of several species.   

The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by the [[Kew Gardens|Royal Botanic Gardens]] at Kew, is recognized by the American Orchid Society as the definitive authority on orchid taxonomy. The Checklist currently acknowledges 31 species of ''Lycaste'', 3 natural hybrids, 2 subspecies (and 1 nominate subspecies), and 1 variety. Orchid growers and orchid collectors, who tend to be taxonomic "splitters" more often than "lumpers" (see [[lumpers and splitters]]), recognize additional subspecies and varieties of ''Lycaste'', as well as alba (white) forms of several species.   

The ''Lycastes'' have been divided into four sections, one of which has two subsections:

The ''Lycastes'' have been divided into four sections, one of which has two subsections:

*Section Deciduosae - deciduous, that is, they usually lose their leaves during an annual dormant period

*Section Deciduosae - deciduous, that is, they usually lose their leaves during an annual dormant period

A recently published (2003) revision of ''Lycaste'' by Henry Oakeley and Angela Ryan split off most of the species of section ''Fimbriatae'' as the new genus ''Ida''. The 34 species of ''Ida'' occur in South America or in the Caribbean Islands (''Ida barringtoniae''), while true ''Lycastes'' occur mostly in Mexico and Central America.  The genus ''Ida'' is recognized by the World Checklist of Monocotyledons.

A recently published (2003) revision of ''Lycaste'' by Henry Oakeley and Angela Ryan split off most of the species of section ''Fimbriatae'' as the new genus ''Ida''. The 34 species of ''Ida'' occur in South America or in the Caribbean Islands (''Ida barringtoniae''), while true ''Lycastes'' occur mostly in Mexico and Central America.  The genus ''Ida'' is recognized by the World Checklist of Monocotyledons.

== References ==

==Gallery==

*[http://www.angelfire.com/or3/orchidsnz/anguloa/lycframe.html Well-written web site by Phil Tomlinson on ''Lycastes'' and the closely related genus ''Anguloa''; the ''Lycaste'' information is based largely on the 1970 monograph by Dr. J. A. Fowlie.]

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*[http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/prepareChecklist.do?checklist=selected_families%40%40237250820062138300 Search page of Kew's World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Enter a full species name, or a genus name only, to see which taxa are considered accepted, and which are considered botanical synonyms]

*Fowlie, J. A., 1970: The Genus ''Lycaste''; privately printed

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== External links ==

==References==

*[http://www.orchids.mu/Species/Lycaste/index.html ''Lycaste'']

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

*[http://www.gnyos.org/Culture_Sheets/lycaste.pdf American Orchid Society culture sheet for ''Lycaste'']

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

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