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Genus Peristylus

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 404

Synonyms:

  • Genus Choeradoplectron Schauer, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 19
  • Genus Coeloglossum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1834) sub t. 1701
  • Genus Digomphotis Raf., Fl. Tellur. 2 (1836) 37

Terrestrial plants, with subterranean tubers. Stem elongated, few- to many-leaved. Leaves sheathing at the base, usually broad and crowded, often spirally arranged, glabrous, persistent, convolute, herbaceous. Inflorescence a terminal, few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers small, resupinate, usually green, brownish, white, or yellowish. Sepals free. Petals free, usually more or less intermediate in shape between the dorsal sepal and the lateral sepals. Lip spurred, not mobile, 3-lobed, spur short, globose, to elongated, clavate to narrowly tubular. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present. Stigma with two widely separated, cushion-shaped lobes, which are adnate to the base of the lip.

Species present in New Guinea:

Peristylus affinis
Peristylus alpinipaludosus
Peristylus bismarckiensis
Peristylus brassii
Peristylus ciliolatus
Peristylus cymbochilus
Peristylus grandis
Peristylus hollandiae
Peristylus listeroides
Peristylus macer
Peristylus maingayi
Peristylus monticola
Peristylus nanus
Peristylus nymanianus
Peristylus pachyneuroides
Peristylus pachyneurus
Peristylus papuanus
Peristylus silvicola
Peristylus triaenus
Peristylus umbonatus


Southeast Asia, Indochina, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Pacific islands, east to Tahiti. About 70 species; in New Guinea about 15 species.

Terrestrial in forests and damp open places in the lowlands as well as in the mountains, including subalpine grassland.

  • Pridgeon, A. M., P.J. Cribb, M.W. Chase & F.N. Rasmussen (Eds.). 2001. Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 2: Orchidoideae (Part 1). Pp. 341-343. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Subfamily Orchidoideae
  • Tribe Orchideae
  • Subtribe Orchidinae
  • Genus Peristylus

This genus of tuberous terrestrial plants is closely related to Habenaria. It has uniformly insignificant flowers that differ from Habenaria in the structure of the column, in that the stigma-lobes are not on stalked appendages, but on cushion-shaped processes that are adnate to the base of the lip. Many species of Peristylus have a very short, swollen and sac-like spur, which is not found in the habenarias of New Guinea. This genus is rarely seen in cultivation.


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Genus Peristylus

Peristylus affinis (D.Don) Seidenf., plants in situ, photo E.F. de Vogel, based on PNG, North of Tapini, Loloipa River Valley 800-1000 m

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus affinis (D.Don) Seidenf., inflorescence, photo E.F. de Vogel, based on PNG, North of Tapini, Loloipa River Valley 800-1000 m

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus ciliolatus J.J.Sm., habit, photo J. Beaman, from Papua (Indonesia), Mt. Jaya

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus monticola (Ridl.) Seidenf., flowers, photo P. O'Byrne, from Sulawesi

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus papuanus (Kraenzl.) J.J.Sm., flowers, photo W. Harris

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus triaenus (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, habit, photo N.E.G. Cruttwell (9/80, PNG, Koruni)

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus triaenus (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, inflorescence, photo N.E.G. Cruttwell (2/82, PNG, Mt. Gahavisuka)

Genus Peristylus

Peristylus papuanus, habit and floral analysis, drawing N.H.S. Howcroft 315, from Lapegu near Goroka