ORCHIDACEAE
Crepidium Blume, Bijdr.: 387 (1825) emend. Szlach., Fragm. Flor. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 123 (1995).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya and Tirtha R. Pandey
Taxon Description
Terrestrial herbs. Stem erect, cylindric to pseudobulbous, 2-several leaved. Leaves thin- textured to fleshy, plicate, sometimes petiolate, sheathing at base. Inflorescence a terminal, unbranched, few to many-flowered raceme; floral bracts recurved or reflexed. Flowers not resupinate, green, yellow, purple or pink. Dorsal sepal free; lateral sepals free or fused, spreading. Petals slender than sepals, free, spreading; lip erect, concave at base, apex entire or lobed, with auricles stretching backwards from base on both sides of column, auricles apex entire or toothed, spur absent. Column without a foot, fleshy, with 2 apical arms; anther cap dorsal, dorsiventrally flattened, attached by a slender filament, locules opening ventrally; pollinia 4, clavate, waxy; stigma elliptic; rostellum obtuse or rounded at apex.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 280 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia and Pacific. Four species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1a. Apex of lip entire or emarginate ………………………………………..……. 2. C. biauritum
1b. Apex of lip lobed……………………………………………………………………….……..2
2a. Apex of lip erose……………………………………………………….…….. 3 C. khasianum
2b. Apex of lip 2-lobed…………………………………………………….………………………3
3a. Flowers ca. 12 mm across. Apex of lip shallowly 2-lobed…………… 1. C. acuminatum
3b. Flowers ca. 8 mm across. Apex of lip deeply 2-lobed……………………… 4. C. purpureum
1. Crepidium acuminatum (D.Don) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. Supp. 3:123 (1955).
Malaxis acuminata D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 28: (1825).
Microstylis wallichii Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 20. (1830).
Plants 15—43 cm tall. Stem 1–3(5) cm, without nodes, arising from the base of old plant of previous year, sheathed at the base. Leaves 3—5, basal, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, 6–20 x 1.5—7 cm, acute to acuminate, margins highly undulate, presence of distinct parallel veins, petiolate, petiole 2—3 cm, sheathed. Inflorescence racemose, laxly many flowered; peduncle ribbed, 4—13 cm, rachis 2—8 cm, floral bracts 3–6 x ca. 1.5 mm, linear-lanceolate, reflexed, acute. Flowers 8–12 mm across, green to yellowish-green, ovary and pedicel ca. 1.2 cm. Sepals sub-similar; dorsal sepal ca. 6 x 0.7 mm, linear, margins incurved, subacute; lateral sepals broader than dorsal sepal, ca. 6 x 2 mm, linear-oblong, margins incurved, subacute. Petals ca. 6 x 0.25 mm, linear, incurved, obtuse. Lip ca. 7 x 4 mm, flat, ovate; base with a pair of broad to lanceolate lobes, parallel to each other, stretching backwards on both sides of the column; apex shallowly 2-lobed. Column ca. 2 mm, fleshy.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1200 – 2900 m.
Ecology: Shady forest floors, and in the open, steep slopes.
Flowering time: June — August.
2. Crepidium biauritum (Lindl.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 124 (1995).
Microstylis biaurita Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 20 (1830);
Malaxis biaurita (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 673 (1891).
Plants ca. 24 cm tall. Stem 2–2.5 cm, without nodes, enclosed in membranous sheaths. Leaves 4 or 5, basal, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 2.5—9 x 1—3 cm, acute, margin not undulate, presence of distinct parallel veins, petiolate, petiole 1–3 cm, apex, sheathed. Inflorescence racemose, many flowered; peduncle ribbed, 15–21 cm; rachis ca. 5 cm; floral bracts 4–7 x ca. 1 mm, narrowly lanceolate, reflexed, acuminate. Flowers 5—6 mm across, purplish red; ovary and pedicel 4–5 mm. Dorsal sepal 5–5.5 × 1.5–2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, margin revolute, obtuse; lateral sepals ca. 6 × 1.5–2 mm, narrowly oblong-ovate, base oblique, obtuse. Petals ca. 5 × 0.2 mm, narrowly linear, incurved, obtuse. Lip ca. 7 × 3 mm, rhombic-elliptic; base with a pair of falcate lobes, embracing column apex; apex obtuse. Column ca. 1 mm, fleshy.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya and China.
Altitudinal range: 800 m.
Ecology: Moist and shady slopes.
Flowering time: July.
3. Crepidium khasianum (Hook.f.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 127 (1995).
Microstylis khasiana Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 686 (1888).
Malaxis khasiana (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 673 (1891).
Plants ca. 27 cm tall. Stem ca. 15 cm, with nodes, sheathed at base. Leaves 4, cauline, alternate, obliquely ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4-9 x 2-3 cm, acute to acuminate, margins undulate, presence of distinct parallel veins, petiolate, petiole 1-2 cm, sheathed. Inflorescence racemose; laxly many flowered, peduncle ribbed, 7-14 cm; rachis 4-5 cm; floral bracts ca. 2—3 x ca. 1 mm, lanceolate, reflexed, acute. Flowers ca. 5 mm across, purplish to yellowish-purple; ovary and pedicel 3—4 mm. Sepals sub-similar; dorsal sepal ca. 3 x 2 mm, broadly ovate, margins incurved, subacute; lateral sepals ca. 3 x 2 mm, concave, obtuse. Petals 1.8-2 x 0.25 mm, linear, incurved, truncate. Lip ca.3 x 2.5 mm, broad, concave, with a central constriction; base with a pair of falcate lobes; apex broad to transversely oblong, incurved. Column 0.8-1 mm.
Distribution: Central Nepal; NE India, Bhutan and China.
Altitudinal range: 1700 m.
Ecology: Shady forest floors, and in open slopes.
Flowering time: July — August.
4. Crepidium purpureum (Lindl.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 131 (1995).
Microstylis purpurea Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 20 (1830).
Plant ca. 43 cm tall. Stem ca. 2 cm, with nodes, sheathed at base. Leaves 3 or 4, basal, obliquely ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, 9-19 x 2.5–5 cm, acute to acuminate, margins undulate, petiolate; petiole 3-4 cm long, sheathed. Inflorescence racemose, laxly many-flowered, peduncle ribbed, 20-25 cm; rachis 6-10 cm; floral bracts 4-10 x 1.2-1.5 mm, linear-lanceolate, acuminate. Flowers 5–8 mm across, uniformly yellowish-green, yellow tinged with red-purple or pink-purple; ovary and pedicel 4–5 mm. Dorsal sepal ca. 4 x 1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, subacute; lateral sepals 4-5 x 2–3 mm, broadly ovate-elliptic, subacute. Petals 3–4 x 0.25 mm, linear, incurved, obtuse. Lip 5.8-7 x 4-5 mm, slightly convex, narrowly ovate-sagittate; base with a pair of triangular lobes; apex deeply 2-lobed, forming an obovate-oblong or subquadrate terminal lobes. Column ca. 1 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya and China.
Altitudinal range: 800 m.
Ecology: Shady forest floors and margins.
Flowering time: July — August.