Barkeria is a genus of approximately 17 species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae (order Asparagales), native to Mexico and Central America. Plants in this genus are deciduous, dropping their leaves in early winter — an unusual trait among epiphytic orchids — and are found in dry scrub habitats across Mesoamerica at intermediate elevations. The genus was once included within the large genus Epidendrum, but is now recognized as a distinct lineage. The type species, Barkeria elegans, is currently treated as a synonym of B. uniflora, yet it retains its status as the type under the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN). Species range from central Mexico southward through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Notable members include Barkeria skinneri, Barkeria spectabilis, and Barkeria scandens. The genus is abbreviated Bark in the horticultural trade.
Distribution
The genus is native to Mexico and Central America, with species occurring from multiple Mexican states — including Oaxaca, Jalisco, Chiapas, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán, and Puebla — south through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Species typically grow at intermediate elevations in dry scrub vegetation.
Ecology
Barkeria species are epiphytic, deciduous orchids adapted to seasonally dry environments. They shed their leaves in early winter and grow in dry scrub areas of Mesoamerica at intermediate elevations, a growth strategy suited to seasonal drought.
Taxonomy Notes
Barkeria was historically treated as part of Epidendrum, a large and broadly circumscribed orchid genus, before being recognized as a separate genus. The designated type species, Barkeria elegans, is now considered a synonym of B. uniflora, but it retains its nomenclatural type status under the ICN.
