ORCHIDACEAE
Chrysoglossum Blume, Bijdr. Fr. Ned. Ind.: 337 (1825).
By: Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti
Taxon Description
Terrestrial herbs. Rhizome creeping with filiform roots. Pseudobulb with 1 internode, apex bearing an articulated leaf. Leaf petiolate, narrowly elliptic, plicate. Inflorescence erect with persistent tubular scales; floral bracts lanceolate, apex acute. Flowers resupinate, full or half opening. Pedicel and ovary ribbed. Sepals free; lanceolate, apex acute, lateral sepals falcate. Petals falcately lanceolate, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed, fleshy; hypochile with claw on either side, lateral lobes erect, rounded, 3-keeled; mid-lobe hastate, concave, acute. Column winged, foot slightly curved, anther 2-locular, pollinia 2, caudicles and viscidium lacking. Fruit fusiform, ridged.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 4 species, distributed in tropical S Asia, C Asia and Australasia. One species in Nepal.
Chrysoglossum ornatum Blume, Bijdr. Fr. Ned. Ind.: 337 (1825).
Ania maculata Thwaites; Chrysoglossum erraticum Hook.f.
Plants 30–40 cm tall. Pseudobulbs ovoid-conic, 20–30 × 10–12 mm, apex with a leaf. Leaf 1, petiole 12–19 cm; lamina lanceolate, plicate, 25–34 × 4–8.5 cm, apex acuminate. Peduncle 25–40 cm, sheathed, sheaths 2–3, tubular, 2–3 cm, apex obtuse; rachis 5–15 cm, laxly-flowered. Sterile bracts lanceolate, 20–25 × 4–6 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts lanceolate, 5–10 × 1–2 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers green with reddish brown spots, lip white, spotted with purple; 10 mm across. Pedicel and ovary 1–3 cm. Dorsal sepal oblong, 10–15 × 3 mm, apex subacute. Lateral sepals falcately oblong, 10–14 × 3 mm, apex acute. Petals falcate, lanceolate, 10–14 × 4–5 mm, apex acute. Lip 8–10 mm, fleshy, base with 2 small auricles, 3-lobed; lateral lobes rounded, erect, 3–4 × 2 mm; mid-lobe elliptic, ca. 2–3 × 3 mm; disk with 3 lamellae. Column 5–7 mm. Fruit clavate, 15–20 × 5–8 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Asia, SE Asia, S Asia and E Himalaya.
Altitudinal range: 1400–1500 m.
Ecology: Terrestrial on litter covering moist dense forests.
Flowering: May–June. Fruiting: July–August.