Orchid Information - Genus Pseudovanilla

Genus Pseudovanilla

Pseudovanilla Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 30 (1986) 234

Monopodial terrestrial plants. Stem elongated, climbing, greenish or brownish. Leaves usually absent, replaced by green, scale leaves; in Pseudovanilla foliosa with developed leaves. Inflorescence a panicle, much-branched. Flowers medium-sized, resupinate, glabrous, yellowish, lip with pink and red markings. Sepals free. Petals somewhat narrower than the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, mealy, caudicles, stipe, and viscidium absent. Bracts at base of branches leaf-like. Rachis and flowers glabrous.

Distribution:

Malesia, Australia, Ponape, east to Fiji. About 8 species; in New Guinea about two species.

Habitat:

Climber in lowland forests.

References:

Pridgeon, A. M., P.J. Cribb, M.W. Chase & F.N. Rasmussen (Eds.). 2003. Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 3: Orchidoideae (Part 2), Vanilloideae. Pp. 319-321. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Stern, W.L.and W.S. Judd, W.S. 2000. Comparative anatomy and systematics of the orchid tribe Vanilleae excluding Vanilla. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 134:179-202.

Classification:

Subfamily Vanilloideae
Tribe Vanilleae
Genus Pseudovanilla

Notes:

Like Galeola this is a genus of usually leafless climbers, but here the floral bracts are large and leaf-like and green, so this genus appears to be less strongly mycoheterotrophic than Galeola. These biologically highly interesting plants are probably impossible to cultivate under normal conditions.

Genus Pseudovanilla in New Guinea is present with 3 species:

Pseudovanilla foliata
Pseudovanilla gracilis
Pseudovanilla montigena