Miltonia

Miltonia, abbreviated Milt. in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus comprising twelve epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids. The miltonias are exclusively inhabitants of Brazil, except for one species whose range extends from Brazil into the northeast of Argentina and the east of Paraguay.

The genus of Miltonia was established by John Lindley in 1837, when he described its type species, Miltonia spectabilis. Formerly many more species were attributed to Miltonia, however, beginning in 1978, the miltonias from Central America and from cooler areas of northwest South America have been moved to other genera, including Miltoniopsis and Oncidium, and these changes are still in the process of being accepted by the horticultural trade.