胼胝兰属 pian zhi lan shu

Authors:Authors: Xinqi Chen & Jeffrey J. Wood

Herbs, epiphytic, small, monopodial. Stems short, enclosed in leaf sheaths. Leaves several, linear, ± fleshy, jointed and sheathing at base, unequally bilobed, lobules acute. Inflorescence lateral, racemose, rather short, several flowered; floral bracts small. Flowers usually opening successively, short-lived, resupinate, small. Sepals and petals free, subequal; lateral sepals attached to column base, usually broader. Petals shorter than sepals; lip sessile, narrowly but firmly adnate to column foot at a right angle, sides enveloping or parallel with column, base with a small slitlike opening leading to a small hidden pouch, spur absent, 3-lobed; lateral lobes parallel to or ± embracing column; mid-lobe linear to narrowly ovate. Column short or rather long, usually stout, with a short foot; pollinia 2, waxy, subglobose, slightly grooved or with a small cavity, attached by a common broadly linear-oblong stipe to a solitary viscidium.

About nine species: China, India, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam; one species in China.