Orchids of New Guinea

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Oeceoclades pulchra

Oeceoclades pulchra (Thouars) Cribb & M.A. Clem., Austral. Orch. Res. 1 (1989) 99.

Type: Thouars drawing s.n. (Mascarene Isl., Reunion) (holo P)

Synonyms:

Limodorum pulchrum Thouars, Hist. Orchid. (1822) t. 43, 44
- Type: Thouars drawing s.n. (Mascarene Isl., Reunion) (holo P)
Eulophia pulchra (Thouars) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1833) 182
Lissochilus pulcher (Thouars) H.Perrier in Humbert, Fl. Madag., Fam. 49, 2 (1941) 41
Lissochilus pulcher (Thouars) H.Perrier in Humbert, Fl. Madag., Fam. 49, 2 (1941) 41
Eulophia ambaxiana J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 26.
Eulophia dahliana Kraenzl., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 2 (1898) 105 (non olim) -
- Type: Dahl s.n. (III-1897, New Britain, foot of Baining Mt., Ralum) (holo B, lost)
Eulophia emarginata Blume, Fl. Javae, n.s., 1 (1858) 152 (non Lindl.) -
- Type: Collector? Korthals? (Sumatra) (holo L? NOT FOUND)2
Eulophia guamensis Ames, Philipp. J. Sci., C, 9 (1914) 12 -
- Type: McGregor 376
Eulophia macrostachya Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1833) 183 -
- Type: Macrae 27 (Ceylon) (holo K)
Eulophia novoebudae Kraenzl., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 76 (1929) 301 -
- Type: Levat s.n. (New Hybrides, Aracoré) (holo P)
Eulophia papuana F.M.Bailey, Queensland Agric. J. 19 (1907) 273 (non Schltr.) -
- Type: Copland King s.n. (British New Guinea, Ambasi) (holo BRI)
Eulophia rouxii Kraenzl. in Sarasin & Roux, Nova Caled. 1 (1914) 82 -
- Type: Roux 816 (holo B, lost)
Eulophia novoebudae Kraenzl., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 76 (1929) 301
- Type: Levat s.n. (New Hybrides, Aracoré) (holo P)
Graphorchis blumeana Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 663 (nom. nov.)
Graphorchis bisdahliana Kuntze, Deutsche Bot. Monatsschr. 21 (1903) 173
Graphorchis calographis Thouars, Hist. Orchid. (1822) t. 43, 44, nom. alt.
Graphorchis macrostachya (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 662

A terrestrial herb. Pseudobulbs slender, up to 10 cm long, sheathed by cataphylls and the fibres of decayed cataphylls. Leaves apical, 2 (or 3), plicate, elliptic, up to 30 by 7 cm, with 3 strongly marked veins; petiole up to 10 cm long. Inflorescences lateral, arising from near the base of the pseudobulb, up to 75 cm long, several- to many-flowered. Pedicel and ovary 1.5-2 cm long. Median sepal ovate, acute, 10-12 by 0.4-0.5 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-falcate, acute, 1-1.2 by 0.4-0.5 cm. Petals broader than sepals, ovate, acute, 0.9-1 by 0.5-0.6 cm. Lip 3-lobed, 0.9-1.2 by 1-1.2 cm, the lateral lobes erect, rounded, the mid-lobe much broader than long, broadly cleft, with a divided callus at its base, the spur short and spherical, 0.2 by 0.2 cm. Column 0.5 cm long.
(After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).

Colours:

Flowers green with a pale yellow lip with purple lines.

Habitat:

Terrestrial in lowland and montane forest. Altitude 5-1900 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, New Guinea, The Philippines), Vietnam, Madagascar, SE Asia, Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Mariana Islands.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm to intermediate growing terrestrial, keep in shade.

Flowering time in the wild:

January, March, April, May, July.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Cymbidieae
Subtribe Eulophiinae
Genus Eulophia
Species Eulophia pulchra

Literature:

Lewis, B.A. & P.J. Cribb, Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville (1991) 302.
O'Byrne, P., Lowland Orchid. Papua New Guinea (1994) 566, fig., as Oeceoclades pulchra (Thouars) P.J.Cribb & M.A.Clem.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 415, as Eulophia emarginata Blume.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 144, fig. 543, as Eulophia emarginata Blume.
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 224, as Eulophia macrostachya Lindl.
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1909) fig. 164, as Eulophia macrostachya Lindl.
Smith, J.J., Nova Guinea 12, 3 (1915) 215, as Eulophia macrostachya Lindl.

Notes:

Former Eulophia pulchra was demonstrated by Martos et al., Taxon 63 (2014) 9-23 to group with Oeceoclades rather than with Eulophia.

Oeceoclades pulchra is an extremely widespread species, which in spite of its name is far from showy. It differs from the other species of Eulophia in New Guinea by its distinct, exposed pseudobulbs. When not in flower it resembles a species of Plocoglottis.