Oncidium Alliance (Orchids)

This group of perennial orchids has wild members ranging from southern Florida and Mexico through the Caribbean and Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and northern Argentina. The group includes dancing-lady, spider, and butterfly orchids, with flowers that may be borne singly or on branching stems. One of the three petals forms a distinctive lip, while the reproductive structures join into a central column. Numerous hybrids are grown for their varied flower colors and patterns. Photographed in Floridablanca, Colombia.