ORCHIDACEAE - China

360EPIDENDROIDEAEdiam., with many internodes and leaves. Leaves distichous,mostly on upper part of stem; blade narrowly lanceolate, 10–22× 1–3 cm, papery, base with a long amplexicaul sheath, apexacuminate. Inflorescences 2–7, arising from near apex of stem,opposite to leaves, 10–22 cm; rachis usually zigzag, base oftenwith 2 or 3 sterile bracts; rachis, pedicel, ovary, and abaxialsurface of floral bracts and sepals densely grayish brown hairy;floral bracts reflexed, obovate-oblong or subrhombic, ca. 5mm, adaxially sparsely hairy. Flowers white, with brownish redveins; pedicel and ovary 1–4 cm. Dorsal sepal oblong-lanceolate,ca. 12 × 3 mm, obtuse; lateral sepals obliquely oblong-lanceolate,ca. 10 × 5 mm, obtuse. Petals oblong-lanceolate, ca. 11× 2.5 mm, obtuse; lip ovate-oblong in outline, ca. 10 × 5–6 mm,subentire; lateral lobes rudimentary, base and apex ± thickened,mucronate, base with an upcurved claw ca. 2 mm; diskbrownish red, with 3 densely white pubescent lamellae extendingfrom base to apex, lamellae thickened at base, distallybecoming thinner and disappearing. Column ca. 8 mm (includinganther cap), with a wing ca. 1 mm wide on either side.Fl. Dec. 2n = 38.Epiphytic on tree trunks in forests; 900–1200 m. Guangxi, SYunnan [NE India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].131. PORPAX Lindley, Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 31(Misc.): 62. 1845.盾 柄 兰 属 dun bing lan shuChen Xinqi ( 陈 心 启 Chen Sing-chi); Jeffrey J. WoodHerbs, epiphytic or lithophytic, tiny, clump-forming. Pseudobulbs crowded together, flattened globose, usually wider than long,2- or 3-leaved, covered by a sheath that disintegrates into a fine fibrous network or into radiating fibers; sheaths white, with reticulateor other veins. Leaves appearing at or after anthesis; blade elliptic, ovate, or oblong, sometimes minutely hairy on margin, apexobtuse or acute. Inflorescence 1-flowered (rarely 2- or 3-flowered), borne either from base of pseudobulb, breaking through sheath,or from apex of a developed pseudobulb; peduncle and pedicel very short, flower appearing sessile at edge or center of pseudobulb;floral bract conspicuous, enclosing lower part of flower. Flowers orange-red to deep dull red, sometimes flushed with greenish yellow.Dorsal sepal connate with lateral sepals at least at its base; lateral sepals connate nearly, or completely, to apex, forming a tubeand a mentum with column foot. Petals spatulate to oblong, narrow, smaller and shorter than sepals, sometimes hairy; lip completelyenclosed in tube, very small, much shorter than petals, obscurely 3-lobed, usually recurved; disk with a basal callus. Column shortbut distinct, with conspicuous foot; pollinia 8, waxy, in 2 groups, each group attached to a viscidium; rostellum rather large, oftencovering stigma entrance.About 11 species: mainland Asia, from India through Thailand and Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia, with one outlying species in Borneo; onespecies in China.1. Porpax ustulata (E. C. Parish & H. G. Reichenbach) Rolfe,Orchid Rev. 16: 8. 1908.盾 柄 兰 dun bing lanEria ustulata E. C. Parish & H. G. Reichenbach, Trans.Linn. Soc. London 30: 147. 1874; Pinalia ustulata (E. C. Parish& H. G. Reichenbach) Kuntze.Pseudobulbs flattened globose, 4–5 × 5–6 mm, coveredwith strongly reticulate-veined sheaths; reticulate veins convex,with meshes ca. 5 mm in diam. Leaves 2, developing at anthesis;leaf blade obovate, elliptic, or suboblong, 1.5–2.5 ×0.8–1.4 cm, 13–15-veined, base contracted into a short petiole,margin thinly ciliate, apex rounded or slightly acute; petiole 2–4Ritaia King & Pantling.132. CERATOSTYLIS Blume, Bijdr. 304. 1825.牛 角 兰 属 niu jiao lan shuChen Xinqi ( 陈 心 启 Chen Sing-chi); Jeffrey J. Woodcm. Inflorescence arising between 2 apical leaves, very short, 1-or 2-flowered; floral bracts small. Flowers suberect, red, 6–7mm; pedicel and ovary 2–3 mm, pubescent. Dorsal sepal ovate,6–7 × 3–4 mm, abaxially pubescent, connate to lateral sepalsshortly at base, acute or shortly acuminate at apex; lateral sepalsfused with each other at 1/2–2/3 their length, base dilatedforming a subglobose sac, abaxially hairy. Petals spatulate, 5–6× ca. 2 mm, margin ± erose, adaxially with faint small silverywhitedots; lip recurved, suboblong-lanceolate, ca. 2 × 0.7 mm,base contracted, distal margin shortly fimbriate, apex cuspidate.Column very short, foot short. Capsule broadly obovoid, ca. 3 ×3.5 mm; fruiting pedicel 4–5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun.Epiphytic on trees in valley forests; 600–1500 m. S Yunnan[Myanmar, Thailand].Herbs, epiphytic or lithophytic. Rhizome short or rather long, creeping or pendulous; roots fibrous. Stems simple or branched,tufted, sometimes terete and rushlike, 1-leaved, with thin, brown, often reticulate basal sheaths, sometimes entirely covered by membranous,reddish brown sheaths, pseudobulbs absent. Leaves borne at apex of stem or branches, usually linear, narrowly lanceolate,or subcylindric, leathery, fleshy or subterete, rarely thinly textured, base articulate. Inflorescence terminal, usually with several clusteredflowers, rarely reduced to a solitary flower. Flowers resupinate, small, rarely large and showy. Sepals similar, erect, connivent;lateral sepals adnate at base to column foot forming a saccate or spurlike mentum, enclosing basal part of lip. Petals narrower thansepals; lip adnate to apex of column foot by a long incumbent claw, slightly or partly thickened, spurless, entire or inconspicuously 3-lobed, usually with longitudinal calli. Column short, dilated above, apex bilobed or with 2 spatulate erect arms, foot long; anther terminal,incumbent; pollinia 8, in 2 groups, waxy, sessile, commonly adhering to a small viscidium.