Specklinia is a genus of orchids in the family Orchidaceae, order Asparagales, first described by the British botanist John Lindley in 1830 in his foundational work Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants (Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.). The genus encompasses approximately 109 accepted species, according to Kew's Plants of the World Online as of 2025, and GBIF's backbone recognises around 146 taxa.
Members of Specklinia are native to the Neotropics, with their range spanning South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Like many pleurothallidine orchids, they are predominantly epiphytic, inhabiting humid montane and cloud-forest environments across their range.
Specklinia is closely allied to the large alliance formerly grouped under Pleurothallis. A number of genera have been reduced to synonymy within Specklinia, including Acostaea, Areldia, Cucumeria, Empusella, Gerardoa, Pseudoctomeria, Sarcinula, Sylphia, Tribulago, and Tridelta, reflecting the significant taxonomic revision that the pleurothallidine orchids have undergone since the late twentieth century.
Etymology
The genus name Specklinia was established by John Lindley in 1830. The name is believed to honour a historical figure in the botanical tradition, though the specific dedicatee is not detailed in sources consulted. Lindley published the genus in Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants (1830).
Distribution
Specklinia is native to the Neotropics, encompassing South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The genus is characteristic of humid montane habitats, particularly cloud forests, across this range.
Taxonomy Notes
Specklinia Lindl. (1830) has absorbed numerous formerly independent genera through taxonomic revision: Acostaea Schltr., Areldia Luer, Cucumeria Luer, Empusella (Luer) Luer, Gerardoa Luer, Pseudoctomeria Kraenzl., Sarcinula Luer, Sylphia Luer, Tribulago Luer, and Tridelta Luer are all treated as synonyms per the GBIF backbone taxonomy. The genus belongs to the tribe Epidendreae (subtribe Pleurothallidinae) within Orchidaceae, a group noted for its exceptional diversity in the Neotropics.
