Mycaranthes Blume, Bijdr.: 352 (1825).
By: Devendra M. Bajracharya
Taxon Description
Plants epiphytic, lithophytic, or rarely terrestrial. Rhizome present at the base of pseudobulbs. Stem short or elongate, usually slender, cylindric, of few to many internodes, lacking pseudobulbs, with leaves along whole length. Leaves many, lanceolate, relatively long and narrow; and superficially resemble a monopodial orchids. Inflorescence terminally with many flowered raceme or panicle, usually 3- 4, erect, covered with short woolly hairs, short, stellate hairs, floral bracts triangular, usually small, broad at base and covered by short stellate hairs. Flowers spirally arranged, small and many flowers, usually cream-colored or greenish yellow, pedicel, ovary, and abaxial surface of sepals tomentose, covered with similar hairs to inflorescence. Sepals sub-similar, white-pubescent dorsally, connate with column foot forming a broad obtuse mentum. Petals narrow, smaller than sepals, margins slightly erose. Lip distinctly 3-lobed, or simple, rigid, with well-developed side lobed, a white, powdery callus on the mid-lobe connecting a basal and usually ends at tip, with long column foot. Column erect, short, foot long; pollinia 8, clavate, equal in size, with a common caudicle. Capsule oblong-elliptic.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 25 species, distributed in E. Himalaya and SE Asia. One species in Nepal.
1. Mycaranthes floribunda (D. Don) S. C. Chen & J. J. Wood. in Wu (eds), Flora of China. 25: 348 (2009).
Dendrobium floribundum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal (1825); Eria paniculata Lindl.
Plants epiphytic, 30–50 cm long. Rhizome present at the base of pseudobulbs. Pseudobulbs crowded, stem-like, 15–80 cm, cylindrical, nodes and internodes completely covered by sheathing leaf base. Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, 6—25 cm long, acuminate bifid, alternate, leathery, subsessile, sheathing at base. Inflorescences 1–5, racemose to paniculate, 10–25 cm, arising from axil of apical leaves, many-flowered, peduncle 3–7 cm long, woody-hairy; rachis 6–17 cm long sheathed, grayish white woolly pubescent. Floral bract ovate-lanceolate, 4–6 x 1.8–2.3 mm, acuminate, persistent, pubescent. Flowers 0.5 — 1.2 cm long, pale yellowish green to white with red tinge reddish dotted on the upper surface, tomentose outside, pedicel and ovary ca. 2–8 mm long, woolly. Sepal sub-similar, white-pubescent dorsally. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 3–6 x 2–2.5 mm, obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely triangular, 5–6 x 3—4 mm, falcate, mentum ca. 2 mm long. Petals elliptic-obovate, 3–5 x 1.5–2 mm, obtuse entire, glabrous. Lip 3-lobed, 3–4 x 2–4 mm, lateral lobes oblong, obtuse, entire, mid-lobe reniform, broadly sub-orbicular, 2-lobed, margins erose, disk with 2 disciform cylindric calli from base to apex, white, both mealy, two oblong conical calli are present on each side of column, apical calli running obscurely towards apex, concave. Column ca. 2 mm long. Capsules 1 — 2cm long, oblong-elliptic.
Distribution: Nepal, E. Himalaya, China and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 900–1700 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in evergreen forest.
Flowering and fruiting: April–June.