Orchid Information - Genus Mycaranthes

Mycaranthes Blume, Bijdr. FL Ned. lndië (1825) 352. Type species: Mycaranthes lobata Blume.

Synonyms:

• Eria sect. Mycaranthes(Blume) Rchb.f., Bonplandia, 5, 55 (185 7).
• Eria sect. Ancipites Rchb.f., Bonplandia5 (1857) 55, nom. nud. Based on: Eria sonkaris Rchb.f.
• Eria sect. Eriura Lindl., Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., 3 (1859) 55, nom. superfl.

Epiphytes or rarely terrestrial herbs. Stem cane-like, cylindrical; internodes few to many; leaves along its entire length. Leaves articulate, conduplicate or terete, alternate, biseriate, usually long and narrow; leaf sheaths persistent, tightly around the stem. Inflorescence subterminal or terminal, 1 or usually several (up to 12) together; indument of stellate hairs; floral bracts (broadly) triangular. Flowers spirally arranged, widely open. Ovary tomentose. Sepals outside tomentose; median sepal elliptic to triangular with acute apex; lateral sepals obliquely triangular, broadened at the base, with acute apex . Petals narrow, smaller than sepals. Lip perpendicular to the column foot, rigid, undivided or distinctly 3-lobed; callus bipartite, farinose, with a powdery median ridge that usually ends in a protruding globular callus. Column erect; anther hinged on a thin filament, hat­-shaped, with almost flat ventral side, usually not tightly covering the pollinia; pollinia usually fully exposed, 8, clavate, equal in size, with a common caudicle; stigma almost orbicular or semi-orbicular.
(after Cribb & Ng 2005)

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