Orchids of New Guinea

Genus Epipogium

Epipogium R.Br., Prodr. (1810) 330

Synonyms:

Genus Ceratopsis Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1840) 383
Genus Galera Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 415
Genus Podanthera Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Or. 5 (1851) 22. t. 1759

Leafless sympodial terrestrial plants lacking chlorophyll, with tuber-like or coral-like rhizomes. Inflorescence a many-flowered raceme (in tropical Asia; elsewhere also one- to few-flowered). Flowers small, resupinate or not, yellowish or whitish, ephemeral. Sepals free. Petals free, similar to the sepals. Lip spurred [abnormal unspurred forms appear to be fairly frequent locally], not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, granular, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present. Ovary strongly swollen at anthesis, distinctly stalked.

Species present in New Guinea:

Epipogium roseum

Distribution:

Tropical Africa, Europe, continental Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, east to Fiji. Two or three species; in New Guinea one, non-endemic, species [Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl.].

Habitat:

Terrestrial in lower montane forest.

Classification:

Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Nervilieae
Subtribe Epipogiinae
Genus Epipogium

Literature:

Docters van Leeuwen, W.M. 1937. The biology of Epipogium roseum (D.Don) Lindl. Blumea, Suppl. 1: 57-65.

Notes:

Epipogium roseum, the only species occurring in New Guinea, can be compared to a mushroom, as it appears and disappears very quickly. The inflorescence is known to grow, flower, set fruit, and die within a week. Like all leafless terrestrials, which are often wrongly called 'saprophytes', they are almost impossible to grow as they are dependent on the presence of a certain fungus in the soil.