Orchidaceae: Apostasioideae [Draft]

1. APOSTASIA Blume, Bijdr. 8: 423. 1825.

拟兰属 ni lan shu

Adactylus Rolfe; Mesodactylis Wallich; Niemeyera F. Mueller.

Glabrous, erect herbs. Rhizomes scaly, producing a few prop-like roots. Roots sometimes bearing tubers. Stem simple or branched, rather slender, leafy. Leaves clustered or well-spaced, plicate, usually recurved along margins, forming a tubular awn at apex, base contracted and then dilating to form an enlarged amplexicaul stalk. Inflorescences terminal or subterminal, often arching or sometimes pendulous, usually branched; floral bracts relatively small. Flowers erect, non-resupinate, almost actinomorphic; ovary 3-locular, slender, not distinct from pedicel; sepals similar, cymbiform, slightly fleshy; petals similar, cymbiform, yellow to white; lip similar to petals though sometimes slightly larger; column erect or curved, with 2 fertile stamens, with or without a central staminode; anthers clasping the style, with 2 loculi of subequal to distinctly unequal length; filaments usually short, adnate to the style; staminode (if present) opposite to dorsal sepal; pollen not cohering to form pollinia; style cylindrical; stigma terminal, capitate; fruit a capsule, narrowly cylindrical, shallowly longitudinally 3-ribbed; seeds black at maturity, with a rigid testa.

About seven species: NE India, Nepal and Bhutan, north to S Japan, through SE Asia to New Guinea and N Australia; three species (one endemic) in China.

1a. Sepals 6–9 mm; anthers 4–5 mm; column with 2 quadrate projecting wings below the staminode 1. A. odorata

1b. Sepals 4–6 mm; anthers 1.5–2.8 mm; column lacking wings.

2a. Stem simple; leaves linear, 10–18 cm; inflorescence many-flowered............................. 2. A. wallichii

2b. Stem branched; leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–2.6 cm; inflorescence 1–4-flowered 3. A. ramifera

1. Apostasia odorata Blume, Bijdr. 423. 1825.

拟兰 ni lan

Apostasia platystylis J. J. Smith; A. selebica J. J. Smith; A. thorelii Gagnepain; Mesodactylis odorata (Blume) Endlicher.

Plant 15–40(–50) cm tall. Rhizome elongate. Roots proplike, 1–3 mm in diam. Stem erect or prostrate towards base, usually not branched, with several tubular sheaths towards base. Leaves many, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 6–18 cm × 0.7–1.9 cm, apex with an awn 3–11 mm; petiole-like base 1–2 cm. Inflorescence terminal, conical, often nodding, with 1–3 lateral branches, usually more than 10-flowered; floral bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4–9 mm. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam.; ovary and pedicel 15–22 mm; sepals narrowly oblong, 6–9 × 1.5–2.4 mm, apex shortly mucronate, margins crisped, 3-veined, pale yellow; petals similar to sepals, but with thickened midvein, pale yellow; lip similar to petals, ca. 10 × 2.5 mm; column ventrally with 2 projecting wings below staminode; wings quadrate, ca. 0.7 mm, longitudinally sulcate; anthers sublinear, 4–5 mm, apex apiculate, base sagittate, with loculi unequal in length; filaments ca. 1 mm; staminode subcylindrical, slightly shorter than the style, adnate to style for most of its length though distal ca. 1 mm free; style 5–6 mm, extending slightly beyond the anthers, apex with slightly dilated stigma; capsule cylindrical, 15–20 × 2–3 mm in diam. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul.

Forests; ca. 700 m. N and S Guangdong (Wengyuan Xian, Zengcheng Xian), SW Guangxi (Longzhou Xian), Hainan, S Yunnan (Mengla Xian, Simao Xian) [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam].

2. Apostasia wallichii R. Brown in N. Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 1: 75. 1830.

剑叶拟兰 jian ye ni lan

Apostasia alba Rolfe; A. curvata J. J. Smith; A. gracilis Rolfe; A. lucida Blume ex Siebe; A. nipponica Masamune; A. wallichii subsp. nipponica (Masamune) Masamune; A. wallichii var. nipponica (Masamune) Masamune; A. papuana Schlechter; A. stylidioides (F. Mueller) H. G. Reichenbach; A. wallichii var. seraweiensis J. J. Smith; Mesodactylis deflecta Wallich; M. wallichii (R. Brown) Endlicher; Niemeyera stylidioides F. Mueller;

Plant ca. 40 cm tall. Rhizome short. Roots prop-like, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam. Stem suberect or prostrate towards base, not branched, with several tubular sheaths at base; sheaths up to 1 cm, several-veined. Leaves many, often clustered towards base of stem, linear to sublinear, 10–15(–18) × 0.7–1.2 cm, apex acuminate and with an awn 2–20 mm; petiole-like base 1–4 cm. Inflorescence arising from distal leaf axils, recurved, pendulous, or suberect, racemose or with a few lateral branches, 4–7 cm, many-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 3–4 mm. Flowers 0.7–1 cm in diam.; ovary and ovary 13–18 mm. sepals linear to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 4–6 × ca. 1.2 mm, 3–5-veined, apex mucronate, yellow; petals similar to sepals, yellow; lip similar to petals but usually slightly broader; column lacking wings; anthers narrowly ovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, base sagittate; filaments ca. 0.5 mm; staminode subcylindrical, adnate to style for most of its length though distal ca. 0.5 mm free; style ca. 3.5 mm, extending slightly beyond the anthers, apex with slightly dilated stigma; capsule cylindrical, 12–25 × 1.4–2 mm in diam. Fl. Aug.

Tropical forests, crevices, along streams; 1000 m. Hainan, SW Yunnan (Yingjiang Xian) [Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, S Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].

3. Apostasia ramifera S. C. Chen & K. Y. Lang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 24: 349. 1986.

多枝拟兰 duo zhi ni lan

Plant ca. 13 cm tall. Rhizome elongate. Stem suberect or prostrate towards base, branched, with several tubular sheaths at base; branches 1–3 cm. Leaves many, spaced along stem, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–2.6 × 0.4–0.8(–1.2) cm, apex with an awn 1–2 mm; petiole-like base 0.7–1.5 cm. Inflorescence arising from leaf axils near the apex of stem and branches, arching or pendulous, 1–2 cm, racemose, 1–4-flowered; floral bracts ovate to lanceolate, 2–4 mm, 3–5-veined. Flowers small, ca. 0.5 cm wide; ovary and pedicel 8–11 mm; sepals spreading, oblong, 4–5 × ca. 1 mm, apex shortly mucronate, margins undulate, 3-veined; petals similar to sepals, but slightly shorter and broader, yellow; lip similar to petals; column lacking wings but ventrally dilated and with 2-ridges below staminode; anthers narrowly ovoid, 2.5–2.8 mm, base sagittate, extending slightly beyond the style; filaments ca. 0.5 mm; staminode slightly shorter than the style, adnate to style for almost its entire length; style ca. 3 mm, apex with slightly dilated stigma; capsule not known. Fl. May, fr. Jun.

* Dense forests; elevation unknown. SW Hainan.

2. NEUWIEDIA Blume, Tijdschr. Gesch. Physiol. 1: 140. 1834.

三蕊兰属 san rui lan shu

Erect herbs. Rhizome usually retrorse with several thick aerial roots. Stem often stiff and woody at base, not branched. Leaves several to many, plicate, basally contracted into a clasping, petiole-like stalk. Inflorescence erect, terminal, racemose, not branched; peduncle bearing several foliaceous sterile bracts; floral bracts relatively large, green. Flowers resupinate, almost actinomorphic; ovary 3-locular, distinct from pedicel; sepals and petals often connivent, not opening widely; sepals similar or lateral ones slightly oblique, fleshy; petals similar; lip usually slightly different in shape and larger than petals; column often short, straight, with 3 fertile stamens; central stamen often shorter than lateral ones; lateral stamens often with loculi unequal in length; anthers free but filaments connate at base and adnate to the style for much of their length; pollen not cohering to form pollinia; style narrowly cylindrical, apex with slightly dilated stigma; fruit either a berry or a dry capsule dehiscent at maturity; seeds black, with rigid testa, sometimes with dilated elongate appendages at both ends.

About ten species: from S China through SE Asia and New Guinea to the SW Pacific Islands; one species in China.

1. Neuwiedia singapureana (Wallich ex Baker) Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1907: 412. 1907.

三蕊兰 san rui lan

Tupistra singapureana Wallich ex Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 581. 1874; Neuwiedia balansae Baillon ex Gagnepain; N. curtisii Rolfe; N. zollingeri H. G. Reichenbach var. singapureana (Wallich ex Baker) E. F. de Vogel.

Plant 40–50 cm tall. Rhizomes ca. 10 × 1–1.5 cm in diam., with nodes bearing slightly lignified prop-like roots. Stem short. Leaves many, nearly tufted towards base of stem, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 25–40 × 3–6 cm, apex long acuminate, abaxial surface with conspicuous convex veins, margins membranous; petiole-like base 5–10 cm. Rachis 6–8 cm, 10–75-flowered, glandular-pubescent; floral bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm, outer surface glandular-pubescent especially along veins. Flowers not opening widely; ovary elliptic, sparsely glandular-pubescent; sepals oblong to narrowly elliptic, 15–18 × ca. 4 mm, apex aristate, outer surfaces glandular-pubescent, white to buff-ochre; dorsal sepal usually slightly smaller than lateral sepals; petals obovate to broadly cuneate-obovate, ca. 16 × 5–6 mm, apex mucronate, outer surfaces glandular-pubescent especially along the midvein, greenish-white; lip similar to the petals, but with a thickened midvein; column suberect; anthers linear, 5–6 mm, with 2 unequal loculi at base; central stamen with a long, slender costate filament ca. 8 mm; lateral stamen with flat costate filaments, ca. 3.5 × 0.7 mm in diam.; style ca. 7 mm; fruit orange to red. Fl. May-Jun.

Forests; 500 m. Hainan (Baoting Xian, Ding'an Xian), Hong Kong, SE Yunnan (Hekou, Yaozu, Zizhixian) [Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam].