倒吊兰属 dao diao lan shu

Authors: Xinqi Chen, Stephan W. Gale & Phillip J. Cribb

Vines, climbing or scrambling, mycotrophic. Stem climbing, reddish brown or yellowish brown, cylindric, flexuous, much branched, glabrous, with a root and a scale at each node. Raceme or panicle terminal or lateral, densely many flowered; rachis and flower glabrous; floral bracts persistent. Flowers not fully opening, thin. Sepals and petals often connivent; lip nearly unlobed, broad, central part with 1 stout and thick longitudinal ridge, both sides with many transversely parallel ridges composed of small papillae. Column slightly curved, with a short foot, tapering into central longitudinal ridge of lip; anther subterminal; pollinia 2, granular-farinaceous, without caudicle or viscidium; stigma concave, large; rostellum small. Fruit a capsule, oblong-cylindric, dry, dehiscent. Seeds with stout testa and broad surrounding wing.

Three species: mainly in SE Asia, extending north to S Japan (Ryukyu Islands) and southeast to New Guinea and the Pacific islands; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Erythrorchis altissima (Blume) Blume