Cryptochilus Wall., Tent. Fl. Nepal.: 36 (1824).
By: Devendra M. Bajracharya
Taxon Description
Plants perennial epiphytic or lithophytic herbs. Rhizome short and creeping. Pseudobulbs cylindrical to ovoid or sub-globose, not completely enveloped in a sheath below. Leaves 1 or 2, arising from tip of pseudobulb, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, coriaceous, petiolate, dorsiventrally flattened or subterete, Inflorescence terminal, synanthous, racemose, secund; floral bracts usually conspicuous, longer or minute than the pedicel with ovary. Flowers resupinate, campanulate or opening widely, spreading or subnutant, white, pink, red, or yellow, small or large pedicel and ovary glabrous or pubescents. Sepals connate to form a sub-cylindric to urceolate tube, the acute apices free, dorsal sepal free, lateral sepals attached to column foot to form a conic mentum. Petals similar, not connate, smaller than sepals, glabrous. Lip entire or 3-lobed, firmly attached column foot of the column, Column foot short or reduced. pollinia 8, clavate, attached to a prominent, elongate, narrowly elliptic viscidium, bifid at apex; rostellum prominently bilobed. Capsule ellipsoid to ovoid or oblanceolate-elliptic.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide eight species, distributed in E. Himalaya SE and Asia. Four species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1a Leaf solitary rarely 2. Peduncle concealed by strongly folded sword-like sheaths——–1. C. acuminatus
b Leaves 2–or more than 2. Peduncle not concealed by sheaths —————————————————–2
2a Sepal tube absent———————————————————————————————–3. C. strictus
b Sepal tube present————————————————————————————————————–3
3a Sepal tube yellow, pollinia yellow—————————————————————————–2. C. luteus
b Sepal tube scarlet, pollinia green————————————————————————4. C. sanguineus
1. Cryptochilus acuminatus (Griff.) Schuit., Y.P.Ng & H.A.Pedersen. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 186: 194 (2018).
Xiphoxium acuminatum Griff., Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 5: 364 (1845).
Plants epiphytic, 15–28 cm tall. Rhizomes creeping. Pseudobulbs 5.5–8 cm long, cylindrical-ovoid, compressed, furrowed when matured, obscurely 4-sided, at base covered with large scarious sheaths. Leaf solitary, rarely 2, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, 12–22 x 3.7–7.5 cm, annular, not sheathing, acute, coriaceous, petiolate, channeled, 2-7 cm. Inflorescence 15–30 cm, terminal, distinctly 3–7 flowered, peduncle 8–15 cm, concealed by overlapping sheaths. Floral bract narrowly linear, or lanceolate, 20-40 x 2-3 mm, longer than flower, acuminate, glabrous. Flower ca. 2 cm, greenish-purple, to crimson red with red veins, glabrous, pedicel and ovary ca. 10 mm long, three-winged on stalked ovary. Sepals sub-similar, 1.7–2.5 x 0.3–0.6 cm, ovate-lanceolate to triangular lanceolate, concave, entire, acute to acuminate. Dorsal sepal oblong-lanceolate, 15–22 x 3—5 mm, acuminate, shortly keeled towards the apex. Lateral sepals ovate, broader at base, , 24-25 x 6 mm, yellowish, slightly falcate, denticulate keels near the apex adnate with column foot to form a gibbous mentum 4 mm, round. Petals ovate-lanceolate 18-20 x 6 mm entire, obtuse or acuminate. Lip 3-lobed, obovate-oblong, 14-20 x 5-6 mm, greenish-purple, crimson red lobes small, rounded, erect, mid-lobe broadly rounded, apiculate, recurved, lateral lobe reduced, disk with 3 lamella, lateral lamellate short, central lamellae prominently elevated, running from base to apex. Column ca. 12 mm. Capsule 3.5 – 7.5 cm long, oblanceolate-elliptic.
Distribution: E. Himalaya, Nepal and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1000-2000 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on trees or lithophytic on rock in primary forest.
Flowering: November-January.
2. Cryptochilus luteus Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 21 (1858).
Plants epiphytic,14-20 cm tall. Rhizome short, stunt. Pseudobulbs 2–2.5 cm long, narrowly oblong to cylindrical, crowded, covered by overlapping sheaths. Leaves 2, apical, sub-opposite, very close together giving opposite appearance, 7.5 — 15 x 1 — 2.2 cm, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, entire, sub-acute to obtuse, minutely bifid, base narrow, channeled, with a prominent annular scar ca. 4–5 cm. Inflorescence 4.5–8.5 cm, erect, nearly as long as leaf, laxly many-flowered, peduncle 7–14 mm, glabrous, slender. Floral bract linear-lanceolate, 6–9 mm long, longer than flower, alternate, prominent, acute, pubescent. Flower ca 0.5 mm, yellow, two rows, cup-shaped, glabrous, pedicel and ovary 5mm long. Sepal tube urceolate, 0.5–0.6 x 0.2–03 cm long, yellow. Glabrous, free apical part narrow, triangular, pale yellow. Petals oblanceolate, obliquely narrowly rhombic, ca. 4 mm, obtuse. Lip simple, oblong, 3–4 mm, expanded, curved at base, grooved and thickened towards apex. curved at base. Column Ca. 18 mm, short clavate, apex bifid. Capsule not seen.
Distribution: Nepal, E. Himalaya, and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1600-2300 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on large branches of mossy trees.
Flowering: July – September.
3. Cryptochilus strictus (Lindl.) Schuit., Y.P.Ng & H.A.Pedersen, Bot. Jour. Linn. Soc., 186: 194 (2018).
Eria stricta Lindl., Coll. Bot.: t. 41b (1826).
Plants epiphytic, 13-30 cm tall. Rhizomes creeping. Pseudobulbs 9–14 cm long, cylindrical, crowded, erect, covered with fibrous sheaths. Leaves 2, oblong-lanceolate 6–10 x 1.5–2 cm, acute, entire, minutely bifid, petiolate, grooved, ca. 4-5 mm. Inflorescence terminal secund, 1 or 2, 7.5–18 cm long, arising between leaves, laxly many-flowered, white cottony, erect, peduncle 2–8 cm, covered with fibrous sheaths. Floral bracts minute, much shorter than pedicel plus ovary, broadly ovate-triangular, glabrous. Flower densely pilose with white hairs externally, two rows, white streaked with yellow, 2–4 mm, densely white tomentose, pedicel and ovary ca. 4 mm, densely woolly. Sepals sub-equal, 2–3.5 x 1.8–2.7 mm, broadly ovate-triangular, concave, entire, sub-acute to obtuse, densely white-tomentose externally, glabrous inside Dorsal sepal broadly ovate-triangular, 0.8–2 x 1.5–2 mm, subacute-obtuse. Lateral sepals broadly ovate-triangular, 15–20 x 2 mm long, sub-acute-obtuse, 3-veined, mentum not well developed. Petals ovate-orbicular, 2-3 x 1.5–2 mm long, transparent, obtuse, entire. Lip obscurely 3-lobed, sub-orbicular or rotund, 1–3 x 1.5 –2 mm, minute, concave, base gibbous, mid-lobe rounded, very short, broad, truncate, lateral lobes sub-triangular, parallel to mid- lobe, disk with small depressed callus from base to apex, pubescent callus at mid lobe. Column 0.5–1 mm. Capsules ca. 5 x 3 mm, fusiform-elliptic
Distribution: Nepal, E. Himalaya and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 300-1500 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks and large branches in tropical and sub-tropical forests.
Flowering: February – March.
4. Cryptochilus sanguineus Wall., Tent. Fl. Nepal. 2: 36, t. 26 (1826).
Plants epiphytic, 14–25 cm tall. Rhizome short. Pseudobulbs 2.5–4.5 cm long, ovoid to ellipsoid-cylindrical, crowded, variable, adult pseudobulbs sheathed at base, green. Leaves 2, oblong to elliptic, 13–17 x 2–4 cm, acute to acuminate, channeled based, coriaceous, bright green, stoutly petiole 4.5 cm. Inflorescence nearly as long as leaf, laxly, distichous sub-densely many-flowered, peduncle 9.5–19 mm, glabrous, slender, pubescent. Floral bracts linear-lanceolate, 0.7–1.7 mm, longer than flower, acuminate, puberulous. Flower 1–1.5 cm, secund in two rows, yellow, densely white-pubescent, pedicel and ovary 3–4 mm long. Sepals connate to form a gibbous sepal tube, 1.3-1.7 cm long, scarlet red with scattered hairs, free apical parts reddish white, triangular. ca. 1.5 cm long, acute, puberolous. Petals oblanceolate-spathulate, 5-6 x 1 cm, obtuse. Lip simple, lanceolate-oblong, ca. 1 –1.1 cm long, entire, hypochile deflexed from a curved base, epichile broader expanded slightly at apex. Column, ca. 5 mm, stout, puberulous. Capsule not seen.
Distribution: E. Himalaya, Nepal and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1000-1600 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on mossy tree trunk in partial shade.
Flowering: May – July.