Orchid Information - Genus Bulbophyllum section Cirrhopetalum

Bulbophyllum sect. Cirrhopetalum (Lindl.) Rchb.f.,Ann. Bot. Syst. 6 (1861) 259. Type species: Bulbophyllum longiflorum Thouars.

Synonyms:

• Genus Cirrhopetalum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1824) sub t. 832
• Genus Ephippium Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 308
• Genus Hippoglossum Breda, Orchid. Kuhl & Hass. (1827) [t. 14]
• Genus Mastigion Garay, Hamer & Siegerist
• Genus Zygoglossum Reinw. ex Blume, Syll. Ratisb. 2 (1828) 4
• Subgenus Cirrhopetalum (Lindl.) P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 236
• Section Cirrhopetaloides Garay, Hamer & Siegerist
• Section Ephippium (Blume) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 700

Small to medium sized epiphytes. Rhizomes creeping; rhizome bracts (rather) thin, glabrous to colliculate, caducous, but veins often persistent as fibres. Roots sprouting below the pseudobulbs, spreading, glabrous to somewhat papillose-verrucate, locally hirsute. Pseudobulbs distinct compared to the size of the plant, 1-leafed, with shoots sprouting at its basal node, free. Leaves persistent, rather thick. Inflorescences sprouting from the basal node of the pseudobulb or from nodes near the pseudobulb, single, sometimes 1-flowered, usually a 2—many-flowered, subumbellate raceme, with flowers spirally arranged. Peduncle shorter then the pseudobulbs to longer than the leaves, peduncle bracts 3—8, with the upper to somewhat above half-way the peduncle. Rachis if present somewhat thickened or not. Flowers usually approx. all open simultaneously per inflorescence if the latter is racemose; floral bracts not amplexicaul; pedicel with the basal level node up to 3 x the diameter of the pedicel above the floral bract attachment, distinctly longer than the ovary (pedicel with the basal node often level with the floral bract attachment in the uppermost flowers of racemose inflorescences). Sepals twisted with the upper margins towards each other close to the base, free or the laterals (partly) adherent to adnate along the upper margin, sometimes also (partly) along the lower margin, the laterals 1.5—10 times as long as the median; 2.5—150 mm long, elliptic or oblong to (ob-)ovate to triangular, rounded to long acuminate or caudate (with a thickened tip), margins of the median deeply erose-lacerate or fimbriate or paleate with paleae of irregular size and shape (entire or approx. so but with a caudate tip in Bulbophyllum longiflorum), margins of the laterals entire, but sometimes ciliate or ciliolate; thin to rather thick, 3—5-veined, surface approx. glabrous. Petals 1.5—10 mm long, ovate to triangular, obtuse (and caudate) to long acuminate or caudate, margins erose-lacerate or fimbriate or paleate with paleae of irregular size and shape, 3-veined, surface glabrous or adaxially papillose to hirsute distally. Lip mobile on a thin ligament, without auricles, or sometimes with approx. patent auricles in the proximal half, undivided, 1.4—15 mm long, elliptic or oblong to ovate to triangular, margins entire, or somewhat erose distally, glabrous to ciliolate; adaxially without ridges or with two inconspicuous to very distinct, obtuse ridges in approx. flexural position, in between these often a median ridge, and sometimes 2 additional, papallel ridges, surface glabrous or partly hirsute, papillose or verrucate; abaxial surface glabrous. Column with rostellum front receding in between the stelidia tips, stigma large, wide or narrow and slit-like, without keels inside, proximally not protruding, column foot tapering towards its top or not, often with two patent, rounded teeth, free part rather long. Stelidia shorter or longer than 1/2 of the length of the column, deltoid to triangular to subulate (with a thick tooth on the adaxial surface in Bulbophyllum longiflorum), entire to erose along the upper margin, or with a small, deltoid, obtuse to acute tooth, along the lower margin with or without an inconspicuous to distinct, patent, deltoid to triangular, rounded to acute tooth or wing. Anther abaxially with a (rather) low, obtuse crest, front (distinctly) concave, front margin somewhat drawn out or not. Pollinia 4, the inner distinctly more than half as long as the outer, without a stipes.

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