Orchid Information - Genus Herminium

Herminium L., Opera Var. (1758) 251

Synonyms:

• Genus Androcorys Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4 (1919) 52. Type species: Androcorys ophioglossoides Schltr.
• Genus Aopla Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1834) sub t. 1701
• Genus Bhutanthera J. Renz, Edinburgh J. Bot. 58 (2001) 99. Type species: Bhutanthera albomarginata (King & Pantl.) J.Renz
• Genus Cybele Falc. in Lindl., Veg. Kingd., ed. 2 (1847) 183c., nom. inval.
• Genus Frigidorchis Z.J. Liu & S.C. Chen, J. Fairylake Bot. Gard. 6 (2007) 14. Type species: Frigidorchis humidicola Z.J. Liu & S.C. Chen
• Genus Monorchis Ség., Pl. Veron. 3 (1754) 251. Type species: Monorchis herminium O.Schwarz
• Genus Porolabium T. Tang & F.T. Wang, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol., Peiping, Bot. Ser. 10: 36. . Type species: Porolabium biporosum (Maxim.) Tang & F. T. Wang
• Genus Thisbe Falc. in Lindl., Veg. Kingd., ed. 2 (1847) 183c, nom. inval.

Terrestrials or occasionally epiphytes, sympodial, herbaceous. Tubers subterranean , unbranched, globose to oblong-ellipsoid. Stem short, few-leaved. Leaves convolute, basal to cauline, sheathing at the base, glabrous, persistent, herbaceous. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, many-flowered, racemose or rarely subcorymbose. Flowers erect, very small, resupinate, whitish or yellowish green. Pedicel and ovary straight or curved, beaked. Sepals free, subequal. Median sepal connivent with the petals and forming a hood. Lateral sepals spreading, oblique. Petals free, narrower than the sepals, usually thickened and fleshy. Lip without spur, not mobile, 3-lobed at the apex; base shallowly concave, saccate or shortly spurred. Column very short; column foot absent; staminodes 2, usually prominent; stigma lobes 2, free, raised, clavate or pulvinate, rostellum triangular, with arm-like lobes; pollinia 2, sectile, granular-farinaceous, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present, often involute and hornlike, naked. Fruit usually erect, oblong to fusiform.

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