ORCHIDACEAE
Agrostophyllum Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 368 (1825).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Plants sympodial, epiphytic. Stems clustered or arising distantly from the rhizome, erect, elongate, slender or compressed. Leaves few to many, distichous, sheathing at the base, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal, very short, capitate-globose, densely many-flowered, Flowers small, resupinate, white or reddish-pink, sometimes with purple or yellow markings on the lip. Sepals similar or subsimilar, lateral sepals spreading or extending below lip. Petals broadly elliptic or linear. Lip 3-lobed, without spur, base saccate or not, mid-lobe prominent. Column short or long, foot indistinct or absent, pollinia 8, attached to a solitary viscidium.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 60 species, distributed in Himalaya, SE Asia and W Pacific. Two species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1a Leaves many, linear-oblong, sessile. Petals broadly elliptic, margin not recurved. Lip with prominent callus, base not saccate ………………………………… 1. A. callosum
b Leaves 3 or 4, elliptic-oblong, petiolate. Petals linear-oblong, margin recurved. Lip without prominent callus, base saccate ………………………………….. 2. A. panicaule
1. Agrostophyllum callosum Rchb. f. in Seeman, Fl. Vit.: 296 (1868).
Plant 30–50 cm. Stems arising from rhizome, distant, slender, bases covered with overlapping sheaths. Leaves many, linear-oblong, 10–17 X 0.6-1 cm, sessile, tapering gradually to emarginate apex, apex unequally 2-lobed, thin, glabrous. Inflorescence 2.5–3 cm across. Floral bracts spathaceous, ca. 7 mm, equaling pedicel and ovary. Flowers reddish-pink or white, ca. 6 mm across. Sepals all similar, broadly ovate, ca. 4 X 4 mm, obtuse. Petals broadly elliptic, ca. 3 x 1.3 mm, obtuse. Lip broadly oblong, ca. 4 mm, 3-lobed, midlobe decurved, reniform, emarginate, lateral lobes broadly rounded, disc with large basal callus, base not saccate. Column ca. 2 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal range: 1,200 – 2,400 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on Lyonia sp.
Flowering: May — August.
2. Agrostophyllum panicaule (Wall. ex Lindl.) Rchb. f., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 909 (1864).
Eria panicaule Wall. ex Lindl., Bot. Reg. 26 (Misc): 8 (1840).
Plant 20–25 cm. Stems clustered, fusiform, compressed, bases covered with broad, overlapping sheaths. Leaves 3 or 4, terminal, narrowly elliptic-oblong, 5–12 X 1.5–2 cm, petiolate; petiole grooved, sheathing at base; apex obtuse, minutely emarginate, thick, glabrous. Inflorescence ca. 2 cm across. Floral bracts fibrous-membranous, lanceolate, ca. 7 mm, equalling pedicel and ovary. Flowers white, ca. 5 mm across (between two spreading petals). Sepals subsimilar, dorsal sepal ovate, 3.5 X 2 mm, erect, acute, lateral sepals extending below lip, oblong, 5 X 2 mm, saccate, acute. Petals linear-oblong, ca. 4 X 2 mm, margin recurved, obtuse. Lip broad horizontally, ca. 4 mm, weakly 3-lobed, midlobe transversely oblong or reniform, apex minutely emarginated, margin erose, lateral lobes oblong, disc without distinct callus, base saccate. Column ca. 2 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal range: 610 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on Schima wallichii.
Flowering: October.