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Glite Dictionary
Maxillaria

Maxillaria

9.9
An orchid that grows on trees in warm wet tropical forests and usually has one flower on each stalk
  • noun
  • /mækˈsɪlɛriə/
  • Specialized
: Maxillaria
  • Many species in the Maxillaria genus thrive in warm, humid environments.

Examples

  • The Maxillaria orchid is popular among collectors for its unique flowers.

  • I saw a beautiful Maxillaria at the botanical garden.

  • Botanists recently discovered a new Maxillaria species deep in the rainforest.

  • The Maxillaria orchids thrive in humid environments.

  • Many species in the Maxillaria genus thrive in warm, humid environments.

  • Botanists recently discovered a new Maxillaria species deep in the rainforest.

  • The Maxillaria orchid is popular among collectors for its unique flowers.

Surface Forms

Maxillaria singular
Maxillarias plural

Morphology

Maxillaria = maxilla (opaque) = maxilla + aria

The genus name is built from the jaw-related base maxilla with a Latinized scientific suffix, but the connection is not semantically obvious to ordinary English learners.

Etymology

Maxillaria comes from the Latin maxilla meaning 'jaw' because the orchid's flower lip often looks like a small jaw, so the name points to that jaw-like shape. You can also see the same root in the word maxillary, which means 'relating to the jaw'.