Orchids of New Guinea

Genus Robiquetia

Robiquetia Gaudich., in Freyc., Voy. Uranie, Bot. (1826) 426, t. 34

Monopodial epiphytes. Stem elongated. Leaves few to many, arranged in two rows, sheathing at the base, spreading in one plane, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence lateral, a dense, many-flowered raceme, rarely branched, usually pendulous. Flowers small, resupinate, often fairly brightly coloured. Sepals free. Petals free, somewhat smaller than the sepals. Lip adnate to the column, spurred, the spur inside with or without callosities, often abruptly swollen near the apex. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, cleft, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, longer than pollinia, viscidium present.

Genus Robiquetia in New Guinea is present with 10 species:

Robiquetia ascendens
Robiquetia brassii
Robiquetia camptocentrum
Robiquetia cladophylax
Robiquetia flexa
Robiquetia gautierensis
Robiquetia gracilistipes
Robiquetia hamata
Robiquetia palustris
Robiquetia wariana

Distribution:

Sri Lanka, tropical continental Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Pacific islands, east to Tonga. About 40 species; in New Guinea about 5 species.

Habitat:

Epiphytes in lowland and hill forest.

Classification:

Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Vandeae
Subtribe Aeridinae
Genus Robiquetia

Notes:

The New Guinea species of Robiquetia are robust monopodial epiphytes with often attractive red, orange, or brown-spotted flowers. There are few, if any, characters which consistently separate Robiquetia from Malleola, although most species can be referred to the proper genus at first sight. Robiquetia is more diverse in the shape and coloration of the flowers. Species of this genus are easily cultivated.