ORCHIDACEAE
Acampe Lindl., Fol. Orchid. 4: 1 (1853).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Plants monopodial, epiphytic or lithophytic. Stem simple or branched, thick, stout, leafy, covered with leaf sheaths. Leaves alternate, distichous, fleshy, conduplicate, coriaceous, apex emarginate or 2-lobed, recurved. Inflorescence axillary, stout, racemose or subcorymbose. Fertile bracts persistent, inconspicuous. Flowers small, fleshy. Sepals and petals similar, flat to curved, lateral sepals adnate to the spur. Lip spurred, adnate to the column, not mobile, rigid, 3-lobed with conspicuous or inconspicuous lateral lobes, fleshy, papillose. Column fleshy, foot absent, pollinia 4, globose, united in two pairs, caudicle thick, linear, viscidium small, oval; transverse, rostellum emarginate.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 9 species, distributed in S Africa, W Indian Ocean and Asia. One species and two varieties in Nepal.
Acampe praemorsa (Roxb.) Blatt. & McCann, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 495 (1932).
Epidendrum praemorsum Roxb., Pl. Coromadel 1(2): 34, t. 43 (1795).
Key to Varieties
1a Leaves less than 2 cm broad. Lateral lobes of lip inconspicuous……………………………………………………A. praemorsa var praemorsa
b Leaves more than 3.5 cm broad. Lateral lobes of lip conspicuous…………………………………………..A. praemorsa var. longipedunculata
A. praemorsa var. praemorsa
Plants 18–20 cm tall. Stem erect, rigid, 8 mm thick. Leaves sub-horizontal, sessile, oblong, 10–14 X 1.5–2 cm, amplexicaul-sheathing at base, apex obtuse, obliquely 2-lobed. Inflorescence 1.5–2 cm, a subcorymbose raceme, 4–6-flowered. Fertile bracts broadly triangular, ca. 2 mm, acute. Flowers ca. 1 cm across, yellowish green with white lip and reddish brown, transverse stripes over whole perianth. Sepals subequal, oblong, subacute, spreading, with reddish brown stripes and dots at apex. Dorsal sepal oblong, 4.5 X 1.5 mm obtuse. Lateral sepals subfalcate, oblong, 5 X 1.8 mm, obtuse. Petals oblong, 4.5 X 1 mm, narrower than sepals, obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, 10 X 3 mm, middle lobe decurved, ovate-oblong, blunt, crenulate, the upper surface rugulose, lateral lobes inconspicuous, adnate to the base of the column, spur cylindrical, 3 mm, hairy within. Column 2 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma.-
Altitudinal range: 200-900 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on trees in evergreen forest.
Flowering: October — November.
A. praemorsa var. longepedunculata (Trimen) Govaerts, Skvortsovia 4(3): 75 (2018).
Acampe wightiana var. longepedunculata Trimen, Syst. Cat. Fl. Pl. Ceylon 90 (1885).
Plants 30–70 cm tall. Stem erect, stout, 10–20 mm thick. Leaves sub-horizontal, sessile, oblong, 25–35 X 3.5–5 cm, amplexicaul-sheathing at base, apex obtuse, obliquely 2-lobed. Inflorescence 10–20 cm, racemose, few- to many-flowered. Fertile bracts broadly triangular, ca. 4 mm, obtuse. Flowers ca. 1–1.5 cm across, fleshy, yellow with reddish brown transverse stripes. Sepals similar, oblong, 1.3–1.4 X 0.7–0.8 cm, obtuse, yellow with reddish brown stripes. Petals oblong-lanceolate, 1.2 X 0.4 cm, narrower than sepals, obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, middle lobe ovate, obtuse, concave, undulate, lateral lobes conspicuous, adnate to the base of the column, erect, narrow, spur conical, ca. 3 mm, hairy within. Column 2–3 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal range: 600–1200 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on trees in evergreen forest.
Flowering: May — June