Miltonia

Miltonia Lindl., (abbreviation Milt.) is a small genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae).

They are named after Lord Fitzwilliam Milton, an English orchid enthusiast.

These epiphytic orchids occur from Central to Southern Brazil down to Argentina. These orchids have one or two leaves, arising from a pseudobulbs, covered with a foliaceous sheath. The inflorescence consists of waxy, nonspurred flowers. The lip is large and flat and lacks a callus at its base. They possess a footless column with two hard pollinia. The flowers have a delicate, exotic scent.

The species in this genus are sometimes confused with the pansy orchids, but it is the other miltoniopsis orchids that have flowers that closely resemble the pansy. Almost everyone except for the most serious orchid hobbyists use these names interchangeably, which may cause confusion.

Miltonia looks more like oncidiums than the real pansy orchids. The most "pansy-like" a miltonia can get is the species Miltonia spectabilis. Taxonomists are debating whether to put miltonia into the oncidium genus because of the many connections between the two.

Miltoniopsis is the pansy orchid with huge showy flowers. They grow in cooler climates and are more challenging to grow than miltonias.

This genus forms with Miltoniopsis a hybrid genus xMilmiltonia J.M.H.Shaw.

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