Koellensteinia is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is named by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach for the Captain Carl Kellner von Koellenstein, an Austrian military officer and a botanical correspondent of Reichenbach.Reichenbach, Heinrich Gustav. Die Wagener'schen Orchideen. in Bonplandia. 1854. see pages 17-18. F. Petter. Nekrologisches. in Oesterreichisches botanisches Wochenblatt. volume 2. 1852. page 213 Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der freiherrlichen Häuser... Volume 18. page 398.

Distribution and ecology The genus contains about 19 species native to South America, Belize, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Terrestrial or epiphytic plants found in low to mid elevation, hill and mountain forests.

Characteristics Related to Zygopetalum. Stems short, leafy, usually forming pseudobulbs, 1- to 3-leaved. Leaves petiolate, linear to oblong, narrow, pleated, lightly veined. Inflorescence lateral, erect, slender, branched or unbranched, numerous to few-flowered. Flowers small to medium sized, fragrant, yellow or white, barred magenta, rose or violet and suffused pink on the outside. Sepals and petals subsimilar, free, spreading; lip trilobed with spreading or erect, small side lobes, a larger, broad midlobe that is entire or somewhat bilobed and has a bilobed, erect callus. Column with a conspicuous foot, very short, sometimes winged; pollinia 2 or 4.

Cultivation Require intermediate conditions, moderate shade, and high humidity. The plants can be grown potted in a free-draining bark mixture and should not be allowed to dry out completely for any length of time.

Species Currently 11 species are accepted: Koellensteinia carraoensis Garay & Dunst. - Brazil North, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela Koellensteinia dasilvae C.F.Hall & F.Barros - Brazil North Koellensteinia eburnea (Barb.Rodr.) Schltr. - Bolivia, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central Koellensteinia florida (Rchb.f.) Garay - Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast Koellensteinia graminea (Lindl.) Rchb.f. - Trinidad, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela Koellensteinia hyacinthoides Schltr. - Brazil North, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela Koellensteinia ionoptera Linden & Rchb.f. - Peru, Ecuador Koellensteinia kellneriana Rchb.f. - Venezuela, French Guiana, Suriname, Colombia, Brazil North, Guyana Koellensteinia lilijae Foldats - Panama, Venezuela Koellensteinia spiralis Gomes Ferreira & L.C.Menezes - Bahia Koellensteinia tricolor (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers - Belize, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil North

See also List of Orchidaceae genera

References

Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.A. & Rasmussen, F. eds. (1999). Genera Orchidacearum 1. Oxford Univ. Press. Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.A. & Rasmussen, F. eds. (2001). Genera Orchidacearum 2. Oxford Univ. Press. Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.A. & Rasmussen, F. eds. (2003). Genera Orchidacearum 3. Oxford Univ. Press Berg Pana, H. 2005. Handbuch der Orchideen-Namen. Dictionary of Orchid Names. Dizionario dei nomi delle orchidee. Ulmer, Stuttgart