Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 976
Synonyms:
Monopodial epiphytic plants. Stem elongated. Leaves 3-5, sheathing at the base, glabrous, dorso-ventrally flattened, articulate, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence lateral, a raceme with swollen rachis. Flowers small to medium-sized, ephemeral, resupinate, appearing successively, attractively coloured. Sepals free. Petals free, somewhat smaller than the sepals. Lip mobile, without spur. Column-foot present, short. Pollinia 4, in two masses, solid-waxy, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.
Species present in New Guinea:
Dryadorchis barbellata
Dryadorchis dasystele
Dryadorchis huliorum
Dryadorchis minor
Dryadorchis singularis
New Guinea, endemic. About 5 species.
Epiphytes in lowland and, predominantly, montane forest.
- Subfamily Epidendroideae
- Tribe Vandeae
- Subtribe Aeridinae
- Genus Dryadorchis
- Schuiteman, A. and E.A. Christenson. 1995. A synopsis of Dryadorchis Schltr. (Orchidaceae). Blumea 40: 421-424.
- Schuiteman, A. & E. F. de Vogel. 2004. A new species of Dryadorchis from Papua New Guinea. Journal für den Orchideenfreund 11: 222-230.
Undoubtedly, this genus of very pretty small monopodials is closely related to the mainly Australian genus Sarcochilus, from which it differs in the short column-foot, the swollen rachis of the inflorescence, and the ephemeral flowers. The five known species all appear to be rare even in the wild.
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Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis dasystele Schuit. & de Vogel, flower, oblique front view, photo E.F. de Vogel, from Leiden cult. 20030677
Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis dasystele Schuit. & de Vogel, plant habit, photo E.F. de Vogel, from Leiden cult. 20030677
Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis dasystele Schuit. & de Vogel, flower detail, column and lip, oblique lateral view, photo E.F. de Vogel, from Leiden cult. 20030677
Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis huliorum (Schuit.) Christenson & Schuit., flowers, photo T. Roelfsema, from Leiden cult. 31682
Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis singularis (J.J.Sm.) Christenson & Schuit., flower, photo Dwi Murti Puspitaningtyas, from Kebun Raya Bogor cult., from Biak
Genus Dryadorchis
Dryadorchis huliorum (Schuit.) Christenson & Schuit., from Blumea 38 (1994) 514, fig. 1, as Sarcochilus huliorum Schuit., drawing A. Schuiteman, based on Leiden cult. 31682