ORCHIDACEAE
Nervilia Comm. ex Gaudich., Voy. Uranie, Bot. 421 (1829).
By: Bhakta B. Raskoti
Taxon Description
Terrestrial herbs. Tuber ovoid, globose, corm-like, fleshy, containing short roots, apex produces a scape or subterranean stem. Subterranean stem noded, apical node give raise to segmental lateral runners that further produce a daughter tuber at the apex. Leaf arising after flowering, aerial or prostrate, petiole long or short, erect, sheathing with one or two cataphylls; lamina cordate, sub-orbicular or reniform, lobed or entire, usually plicate, apex acute or obtuse, margin entire or undulate, venation evident, pubescent or glabrous. Scape erect, slender with tubular sheaths; inflorescence with 1, 2 or many laxly arranged flowers; floral bracts lanceolate, erect or deflexed. Flower often resupinate, pendent or erect, full opening or only half opening; pedicel and ovary winged or ridged. Sepals subequal; lanceolate, spreading. Petals similar to sepals. Lip suberect, unlobed or 3-lobed, base with or without a spur, glabrous or pubescent, often marked with red, margin entire or fimbriate. Column clavate, elongate, curved or straight, wingless; pollinia 2, granular-sectile, caudicle absent; viscidium prominent or rarely reduced; rostellum broad, without lobes, occasionally absent; stigma oblong to orbicular. Fruit fusiform, ridged.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 65 species in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Australasia. Six species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1 a Inflorescence with a terminal single flower………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..………………2
b Inflorescence with 2 or more flowers.………….………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………4
2 a Leaf reniform, prostrate. Flower erect. Mid-lobe of lip margin lacerate.…………………………………………………………6. N. simplex
b Leaf cordate, aerial. Flower nodding. Mid-lobe of lip with entire margins………………………………………………………………………….3
3 a Leaf entire. Mid-lobe of lip lanceolate, apex subobtuse………………………………………………………………………….4. N. macroglossa
b Leaf distinctly 7-lobed. Mid-lobe of lip oblong, apex obtuse..………………………………………………………..………..3. N. mackinnonii
4 a Leaf pubescent, brownish tinged with dark purple blotch. Inflorescence 2-flowered. Floral bracts erect…………5. N. plicata
b Leaf glabrous. Inflorescence 3- or more flowered. Floral bracts reflexed…………………………………………………………………………..5
5 a Leaf cordate. Petals linear-lanceolate, yellowish green…………………………………………………………………………………1. N. concolor
b Leaf orbicular-cordate. Petals elliptic-lanceolate, pale lilac…………………………………………………………………………2. N. gammieana
1. Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 404 (1911).
Cordyla concolor Blume, Bigdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 416 (1825); Epipactis carinata Roxb.; Nervilia aragoana Gaudich.; Pogonia carinata (Roxb.) Lindl.
Plants 15–25 cm tall. Tuber subglobose, 7–10 × 15–20 mm. Leaf cordate, 6–14 × 10–18 cm, aerial, entire, uniformly green, plicate, margin undulate, apex rounded; petiole 10–15 cm. Inflorescence 5–20-flowered, 15–40 cm, peduncle 10–20 cm, sheathed, sheaths 2–3, tubular, 20–35 × 4–6 mm, apex obtuse. Floral bracts reflexed, linear-lanceolate, 10–15 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers resupinate, nodding, 1–2.5 cm across, sepals and petals yellowish green containing brown veins, lip pale green to white with pink striations. Pedicel and ovary 5–8 mm. Dorsal sepal linear-oblong, 10–20 × 2.5–3 mm, apex acuminate. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals linear-lanceolate, 10–18 × 2–2.5 mm, apex acuminate. Lip ovate-oblong, 10–17 × 4–6 mm, 3-lobed above middle; lateral lobes triangular, 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, apex acute; mid-lobe ovate-triangular, 4–5 × 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, margin undulate; disk villous, containing 2 longitudinal ridges. Column 6–10 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal, S Asia, E Himalaya, E Asia, SE Asia and Australasia.
Altitudinal range: 500–1300 m.
Ecology: Forests, shaded and damp places along valleys.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: April–June.
2. Nervilia gammieana (Hook. f.) Pfitzer, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2(6): 56 (1888).
Poogonia gammieana Hook. f., Bot. Mag. 109: t. 6671 (1883).
Plants 20–25 cm tall. Tuber subglobose, 15–20 × 15–20 mm. Leaf orbicular-cordate, 7–12 × 10–15 cm, aerial, entire, uniformly green, both surfaces glabrous, plicate, margin undulate, apex acute; petiole 10–20 cm. Inflorescence 6–8-flowered, 20–35 cm, peduncle 5–11 cm, sheathed, sheaths 1–2, tubular, 20–35 × 4–5 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts reflexed, lanceolate, 5–10 × 3–4 mm, apex acute. Flowers resupinate, nodding, 1.5–2 cm across, sepals and petals pale liliac containing pink veins, lip white with pink striations. Pedicel and ovary 8 mm. Dorsal sepal elliptic-lanceolate, 15–25 × 4–6 mm, apex acuminate. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals elliptic-lanceolate, 15–20 × 4–5 mm, apex acuminate. Lip elliptic-obovate, 3-lobed, 20–25 × 6–10 mm, lateral lobes ovate-triangular, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, apex obtuse; mid-lobe orbicular-ovate, 8–10 × 6–8 mm, apex obtuse, margin undulate; disk papillose, containing 2 longitudinal ridges. Column 6–8 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal and E Himalaya.
Altitudinal range: 400–800 m.
Ecology: Humus-rich forest.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: April–June
3. Nervilia mackinnonii (Duthie) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 402 (1911).
Pogonia mackinnonii Duthie, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 71: 43 (1902).
Plants 5–10 cm tall. Tuber subglobose, 5–10 × 5–10 mm. Leaf cordate, 2.5–4 × 3–3.5 cm, aerial, 7-lobed, uniformly green, both surfaces glabrous, flat, margin undulate, apex acute; petiole 4–8 cm. Inflorescence 1-flowered, 6–10 cm, peduncle 5–6 cm, sheathed, sheaths 2, tubular, 8–15 × 2–3 mm, acute obtuse. Floral bracts erect, lanceolate, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acute. Flower resupinate, nodding, 1.5–2 cm across, sepals and petals brown containing purplish veins, lip white with purple blotches on mid-lobe. Pedicel and ovary 4–7 mm. Dorsal sepal linear-lanceolate, 15–17 × 2 mm, apex acuminate. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals linear-lanceolate, 12–15 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acuminate. Lip oblong, 12–15 × 3–4 mm, 3-lobed near middle; lateral lobes erect, triangular, 2 × 1 mm, apex acute; mid-lobe oblong, 4–6 × 3–3.5 mm, apex obtuse, margin entire; disk papillose, containing a thickened ridge. Column 4–6 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, W Himalaya and E Asia.
Altitudinal range: 900–1400 m.
Ecology: Among litter in moist forest.
Flowering: April–May. Fruiting: May.
4. Nervilia macroglossa (Hook.f.) Shcltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45 (1911).
Poogonia macroglossa Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 120 (1890).
Plants 8–10 cm tall. Tuber globose, 6–8 × 7–10 mm. Leaf cordate, 4–7 × 4–10 cm, aerial, entire, uniformly green, both surfaces glabrous, flat, margin undulate, apex acute; petiole 6–8 cm. Inflorescence 1-flowered, 7–12 cm, peduncle 6–9 cm, sheathed, sheaths 1–2, tubular, 20–25 × 2–3 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts erect, linear-lanceolate, 5–6 × 1–2 mm, apex acute. Flowers resupinate, nodding, 2–3 cm across, sepals and petals light brown, lip white flushed pink. Pedicel and ovary 4–5 mm. Dorsal sepal linear-lanceolate, 15–20 × 2–3 mm, apex acuminate. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals linear-lanceolate, 10–15 × 1–1.5 mm, apex acuminate. Lip oblong, 15–18 × 3–4 mm, 3-lobed, lateral lobes narrowly triangular, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm; mid-lobe lanceolate, 6–10 × 4–5 mm, apex subacute, margin entire; disk minutely papillose, containing a thickened ridge. Column 5–6 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 600–1800 m.
Ecology: Humus-rich forest.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: April–June
5. Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 403 (1911).
Arethusa plicata Andrews, Bot. Repos. 5: 321 (1803); Cordyla discolor Blume; Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Lindl.; Roptrostemon discolor (Blume) Blume.
Plants 8–20 cm tall. Tuber globose, 10–20 × 5–10 mm. Leaf orbicular-cordate, 5–8 × 4–7 cm, prostrate on ground, entire, dark purple below, pale to dark green with purple blotches above, pubescent, plicate, not undulate, apex acute; petiole 1 cm. Inflorescence 2-flowered, 10–20 cm, peduncle 5–12 cm, sheathed, sheaths 2–3, tubular, 10–25 × 2–6 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts erect, lanceolate, 5–7 × 1–2 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers resupinate, nodding, 1.5–2 cm across, sepals and petals light brown containing pink veins, lip white with pink striations. Pedicel and ovary 10–14 mm. Dorsal sepal spatulate, 15–25 × 2–4 mm, apex acute. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals linear-oblanceolate, 14–20 × 2–3 mm, apex acute. Lip ovate, 13–20 × 10–14 mm, obscurely 3-lobed above middle; lateral lobe semi-elliptic to rounded, ca. 3–4 × 3–4 mm; mid-lobe ovate-oblong, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, apex obtuse, emarginate, margin entire; disk without papillae, containing a thickened ridge. Column 6–10 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal, S Asia, E Himalaya, E Asia and Australasia.
Altitudinal range: 200–1000 m.
Ecology: Shaded forests or forest margins.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: April–June
6. Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 401 (1911).
Arethusa simplex Thouars, Hist. Orchid.: t. 24 (1822); Nervilia crociformis (Zoll. & Moritzi) Seidenf.; Pogonia crispata Blume
Plants 6–10 cm tall. Tuber subglobose, 6–10 × 10–15 mm. Leaf reniform, 2.5–3 × 4–6 cm, prostrate on ground, entire, uniformly green, glabrous below, bristle above, flat, margin undulate, apex rounded; petiole 1–2 cm. Inflorescence 1-flowered, 3–7 cm, peduncle 2–6 cm, sheathed, sheaths 2 tubular, 20–30 × 1–2 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts erect, ovate-lanceolate, 8–10 × 2–3 mm, apex acute. Flowers not resupinate, erect, 1.5–2.5 cm across, sepals and petals pale greenish, lip white tinged pinkish. Pedicel and ovary 1–2 cm. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 15–25 × 3 mm, apex acute. Lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal. Petals lanceolate, 10–15 × 2–3 mm, apex acute. Lip rhombic, 15–18 × 8–10 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes triangular, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm; mid-lobe orbicular, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, apex obtuse, margin lacerate; disk papilliate, containing 3 longitudinal lamellae. Column 5–6 mm. Capsule fusiform.
Distribution: Nepal, Africa, E Asia, W Himalaya, SE Asia and Australasia.
Altitudinal range: 500–1600 m.
Ecology: Among litter in moist forests.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: April–June