Octomeria is a genus of approximately 150 to 171 species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae, placed within the subfamily Epidendroideae. The genus was described by Robert Brown in 1837 in the second edition of Hortus Kewensis. Species are entirely neotropical in distribution, with the great majority occurring in Brazil, though the genus also extends into adjacent South American countries including Suriname.
Plants in the genus are characteristically small epiphytic orchids. The generic name is derived from the Greek words for "eight" and "part", referring to the eight pollinia found in each flower — an unusual count that distinguishes Octomeria from most other orchid genera. The flowers are typically small and are produced singly or in few-flowered inflorescences from the leaf axils.
With over 150 accepted species, Octomeria is one of the more species-rich genera among the pleurothallid orchids (tribe Epidendreae, subtribe Pleurothallidinae). Classification and circumscription of the genus have been refined over time, with recent treatments by Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase, and Rasmussen (2006) in Genera Orchidacearum providing a modern systematic account.
Etymology
The name Octomeria comes from the Greek okto ("eight") and meros ("part"), referring to the eight pollinia characteristic of the genus — an unusual number among orchids that served as the defining diagnostic feature when Robert Brown described the genus in 1837.
Distribution
Octomeria is entirely neotropical, with the great majority of its approximately 150–171 species native to Brazil. The genus also occurs in other South American countries, including Suriname and likely neighboring nations within the broader tropical Americas.
Taxonomy Notes
Octomeria was described by Robert Brown in 1837 (Hortus Kewensis, 2nd ed., 5: 211) and belongs to the family Orchidaceae, subfamily Epidendroideae. It is placed within the pleurothallid alliance (subtribe Pleurothallidinae), a large neotropical lineage of miniature epiphytic orchids. The modern circumscription recognizes approximately 171 species (Plants of the World Online, December 2025), while GBIF records 57 accepted taxa — a discrepancy likely reflecting differences in synonymy treatment between databases.
