ORCHIDACEAE
Lecanorchis Blume, in Mus. Bot. 2: 188 (1856).
By: Bhakta B. Raskoti
Taxon Description
Mycoheterotrophic herbs. Rhizomes creeping or ascending, scaly, with wiry roots. Stems branched or not, noded, nodes with scale-like sheaths. Inflorescence racemose, several to many flowered. Flowers with denticulate calyculus, semi-spreading. Sepals and petals similar; lip connate by lower canaliculate claw with column, spurless, 3-lobed; disk often hairy. Column slender, dilated upward, apex winged; anther bilocular; pollinia 2, granular, caudicle and vicidium inconspicuous; stigma trilobed; rostellum obscure. Fruit cylindrical or fusiform-cylindrical.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 23 species, in Assam-Burma, East Himalaya, East Asia and South East Asia. One species in Nepal.
1. Lecanorchis japonica Blume, Ann. Mus Bot. 2: 188 (1856).
Lecanorchis hokurikuensis Masam; L. kiiensis Murata
Plants 41–48 cm tall. Rhizomes cylindric, ascending, scale-like sheaths at nodes. Roots wiry, 7–14 cm. Peduncle 39–46 cm, base bracteate, bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.7 cm, apex obtuse. Sterile bracts ovate-lanceolate, 5–10 × 3–4 mm, apex acute. Inflorescence racemose, rachis 7–8 cm, 4–6-flowered. Floral bracts triangular, 2–4 × 2 mm, apex acute. Flowers yellow, brownish yellow, pale brown, 1.5–2 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 1–3 cm, apex with erose-denticulate calyculus. Dorsal sepal linear-oblanceolate, 15–20 × 3–4 mm, apex acute. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal, oblique. Petals falcately linear-oblanceolate, 15–20 × 3–4 mm, apex acute. Lip clawed at base, 10–15 mm, 3-lobed near middle; lateral lobes triangular, 5 × 2 mm, apex acute; mid-lobe orbicular, erose-lacerate, 10 × 5 mm, apex obtuse, truncate and emarginate; disk barbellate. Column 10–15 mm, apex dilated, winged. Fruit cylindrical, 4 × 0.5 cm.
Distribution: Nepal and E Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1000–1400 m.
Ecology: In shaded forests.
Flowering: April–May. Fruiting: June–July.