Honoring the Quechua Language

Title

Honoring the Quechua Language

Authors

Matthew C. Pace

Description

Quechua is a family of indigenous languages spoken by the Quechua peoples of Andean South America, from southern Colombia to Argentina and Chile. When naming an interesting new genus of epiphytic orchid from the Andes, researchers Gerardo A. Salazar and Lou Jost chose to use Quechua as the genus name to honor the Quechua family of languages. This orchid is now known as Quechua glabrescens.

Quechua glabrescens is very rare, only known from a handful of locations in Andean Ecuador and Peru. These specimens of Quechua here at the NYBG Steere Herbarium were previously misidentfied as a different genus until they were reviewed and reidentified in 2020.

Salazar, G.A., & L. Jost. 2012. Quechua, a New Monotypic Genus of Andean Spiranthinae (Orchidaceae). Systematic Botany, 37: 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364412X616657