Orchid Information - Genus Ania

Ania Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1831) 129. Lectotype species: Ania angustifolia Lindl., chosen by H. Turner, Orchid Monographs 6 (1992) 49

Synonyms:

• Ascotainia Ridl., Mater. Fl. Mal. Penins. 1 (1907) 115. Type species: Ania penangiana (Hook.f.) Summerh.

Plant usually glabrous, creeping, sympodial, usually not branched. Roots 1—2 mm diam., not branched, with villous hairs, arising predominantly from the nodes of the shoots. Shoots arising from the basal part of the last pseudobulb, with a persistent or decaying, tubular, acute, membranaceous scale on each node; the sterile shoots with. one terminal leaf, pseudobulb consisting of one or several internodes, erect, rarely prostrate, conical, rarely ovoid to ellipsoid or gourd-shaped. Leaf petiolate. Petiole usually with a distinct articulation in the upper half. Leaf blade elliptic to slightly obovate, tip acute to acuminate, margins straight, base decurrent along the petiole. Inflorescence lateral, erect, arising from the base of the pseudobulb of the previous shoot. Peduncle scales tubular, acute to slightly acuminate. Floral bracts triangular, acute. Flowers resupinate. Sepals and petals elliptic to obovate, entire. Lateral sepals slightly decurrent along the column foot, the decurrent part curved downward and around the column foot. Lip usually with a distinct spur 1—5 mm long, blade entire or three-lobed, adaxially with 3—7 keels. Column semiterete, alate. Anther usually with 2 crests abaxially, the 2 thecae usually 4-celled. Pollinia 8, in 4 pairs, subequal, 1 smaller pair proximally and 1 larger pair distally in each theca; stipes probably always present. Fruit ellipsoid.
(after Turner, 1992)

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