4. Hemiorchis Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 42: 108 (1873).
By: Kalpana S. Dhakal
Taxon Description
Dwarf, rhizomatous herb. Rhizome long, branched, without storage tubers. Pseudostems short.Leaves few, spreading, sub-sessile; leaf blade ovate to elliptic. Ligule inconspicuous. Inflorescences picate on a separate shoot arising from rhizome; peduncle erect, clothed with spathaceous bracts. Flowers small. Calyx shortly tubular, 3-lobed. Corolla tubular, 3- lobed dorsal one somewhat larger than lateral ones. Lateral staminode petaloid, shorter than the corolla, emarginated. Labellum small, with a central thick ridge from base to apex; filaments thick curved shorter than labellum; anthers dithecous. Ovary unilocular with parietal placentation; style filiform; stigma small, cupshaped. Capsule ovoid, small, 3- valved, dehiscent. Seeds few, conical, arillate.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 3 species and are distributed in the E Himalaya. Only one species recorded from Nepal.
1. Hemiorchis pantlingii King, Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 5: 163 (1894).
Herbs upto 60 cm. Rhizome 30–46 cm, branched, sparsely covered with short fibres, without tubers. Leafy stem 38–51 cm. Leaves sessile, ovate – lanceolate, 15 — 36 X 5–11cm, sheathing base, apex acuminate. Inflorescence basal, peduncle 6–12 cm, leafless, covered with 4–5 spathaceous bracts, pubescent; spike 3 — 4 X 2 — 2.5 cm. Flowers sessile. Calyx tubular, with three short subequal lobes, shorter than the corolla tube, membranous, ca. 0.8 cm, pubescent. Corolla pale pink, tubular, tube ca. 1 cm, 3- lobed, dorsal lobe ovate, ca. 1.4 X ca. 0.6 cm; lateral lobes lanceolate, ca. 1.2 cm. Lateral staminodes shorter than corolla, broad, obovate. Lip orange, rhomboidal, concave with a central thick ridge from base to apex, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments thick, curved, shorter than lip; anthers 2-celled, incurved. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, striated, villous; style filiform; stigma projecting slightly above the apex of the anther. Capsule fusiform, ca. 3 cm, 8–10 ribbed, pubescent, crowned by the withered segments of the perianth. Seeds dark brown to black, globose to ovoid, very small, <2 mm, aril inconspicuous.
Distribution: Nepal and E Himalaya.
Altitudinal range: 200 –1100 m.
Ecology: Found in deciduous forest.
Flowering/ Fruiting: April—May.