Miltonia
Miltonia, abbreviated
Milt. in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus formed by nine epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids inhabitants of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one species reaching the northeast of Argentina and east of Paraguay. This genus was established by John Lindley in 1837, when he described its type species,
Miltonia spectabilis. Many species were attributed to
Miltonia in the past, however, today, the species from Central America and from cooler areas on northwest of South America have been moved to other genera.
Miltonia species have large and long lasting flowers, often in multifloral inflorescences. This fact, allied to being species that are easy to grow and to identify, make them a favorite of orchid collectors all over the world. Species of this genus are extensively used to produce artificial hybrids. Despite the fact that
Miltonia is now a well established genus, most of its species were originally classified under other genera as
Cyrtochilum,
Oncidium,
Odontoglossum, and
Brassia. All were discovered between 1834 and 1850 with the exception of
M.