Genus Pachystoma
Pachystoma Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 376
Synonyms:
- Genus Apaturia Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1831) 130
- Genus Pachychilus Blume, Fl. Javae (1828) vii
Sympodial terrestrial plants with a subterranean swollen rhizome. Leaf-bearing shoot almost stemless, 1- or 2-leaved. Leaves sheathing at the base, very narrow, glabrous, plicate, often withered at the time of flowering, thin-textured. Inflorescence arising from the rhizome, usually far separated from the leaf-bearing shoot, a few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers small, resupinate, all parts hairy, including the column. Sepals free. Petals free, narrower than the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile, at the base with a concavity which is almost closed by a callus on the short column-foot, 3-lobed, the midlobe with 5 to 7 warty keels. Pollinia 8, solid, caudicles present, stipe and viscidium absent.
Species present in New Guinea:
Pachystoma pubescens
India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, east to New Caledonia. About 6 (possibly only 1) species; one widespread species (Pachystoma pubescens Blume) in New Guinea.
In tall grassland at low altitudes, often subjected to periodic fires.
- Pridgeon, A. M., P.J. Cribb, M.W. Chase & F.N. Rasmussen (Eds.). 2005. Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 4: Epidendroideae (Part one). Pp. 146-148. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Subfamily Epidendroideae
- Tribe Collabieae
- Genus Pachystoma
This may be mistaken for a leafless orchid, as the grass-like leaves have often disappeared at the time the leafless inflorescences carry their small pinkish flowers.
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Genus Pachystoma
Pachystoma pubescens Blume, inflorescence, photo G. Stocker
Genus Pachystoma
Pachystoma pubescens Blume, habit and floral analysis, drawing N.H.S. Howcroft 326, from Umi R.