苹兰属 ping lan shu

Authors:Authors: Xinqi Chen, Yi-Bo Luo & Jeffrey J. Wood

Eria sect. Hymeneria Lindley; E. sect. Urostachya Lindley; Hymeneria (Lindley) M. A. Clements & D. L. Jones; Urostachya (Lindley) Brieger.

Herbs, epiphytic or terrestrial. Stems close together, elliptic in transverse section, of several equally or unequally enlarged internodes each covered by a semitransparent leaf-sheath, giving rise to a distinct venation on stem, with leaves on upper half or a few leaves near apex. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, mostly leathery, without a distinct petiole. Inflorescences synanthous, axillary, erect or nodding, racemose, laxly to densely many flowered, leaving a pit on stem when shed, axis usually with small, scalelike brown hairs; floral bracts conspicuous and often large. Flowers widely opening or not, color very variable, small to medium-sized. Sepals densely to sparsely pubescent abaxially; dorsal sepal narrowly triangular or narrowly elliptic; lateral sepals triangular, ventrally broadened at base, attached to a long column foot to form a mentum. Petals similar in size and color to dorsal sepal; lip 3-lobed, hinged at base to column foot; disk usually adorned with papillose keels of various lengths and numbers, or without keels; anther cap easily detached; pollinia 8, clavate.

About 160 species: from NW Himalayas and NE India to Myanmar, S China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, the Malay Archipelago, NE Australia, and the Pacific islands; 17 species (six endemic) in China.