Orchid Information - Family Orchidaceae Subfamily Orchidoideae Tribe Cranichideae Subtribe Spiranthinae

Spiranthinae Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1840) 441,462;( as 'Spiranthidae'). Type genus: Spiranthes Rich.

Synonyms:

• Subtribe Cyclopogoninae Szlach., Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 43-44. Type: Cyclopogon Presl.
• Subtribe Stenorrhynchidinae Szlach ., Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 43. Type genus: Stenorrhynchos Rich. ex Spreng.

Terrestrials, lithophytes or less often epiphytes, sympodial, herbaceous. Roots tufted, sometimes spaced along a slender rhizome, or rarely absent and then rhizome is swollen and coral-like;. Stem short. Leaves spirally arranged, 1, forming a basal rosette, or less often along the stem, exceptionally absent (then the plant mycoheterotrophic). Inflorescence terminal. Flowers usually resupinate, tubular, often fleshy. Sepals free or partly connate; lateral sepals often decurrent on the ovary and forming a spurred or chin like nectary. Petals usually adhering to the median sepal, forming a hood, at the base often decurrent on the sides of the column, rarely partially adnate to the column. Lip with the margin adhering to the apical part of the column, rarely free, clawed or sessile, often with a more or less distinct hypochile and epichile; base usually with distinct, free or adnate nectar glands. Column foot absent or distinct, then partially or completely obliquely adnate to the ovary; clinandrium usually concave, limited laterally by usually membranous margins; anther usually 2-celled, erect; pollinia 2 , deeply cleft, rarely 4, with terminal or ventral viscidium ; rostellum fleshy to membranous, sometimes very small; stigma sometimes projecting in an oblique plane, entire or 2-lobed. 0vary glabrous to lanuginose, often twisted. Fruit erect or ascending.
(after Salasar 2003)

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