ORCHIDACEAE
Pelatantheria Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32: 371 (1896).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Plants monopodial epiphytic. Stem elongate, many-leaved. Leaves alternate, rather close set, oblong, coriaceous. Inflorescences axillary, racemose. Flowers medium-sized, resupinate. Sepals subequal, spreading, free. Petals spreading, free, usually much narrower than the sepals. Lip 3-lobed, midlobe triangular, adnate to the base of the column foot, lateral lobes small, more or less rounded or acute, base with an infundibuliform spur. Column short and thick, with a foot, pollinia 4, solid, in pairs.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 5 species, distributed in India, Japan and Malesia. One species in Nepal.
1. Pelatantheria insectifera (Rchb. f.) Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32: 373 (1896).
Sarcanthus insectifera Rchb. f., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 15: 159 (1857).
Plants 15–40 cm tall. Stem erect, scandent, flexuous, with adventitious roots. Leaves oblong, 3.5–5.5 X 1.5–2 cm, amplexicaul, apex unequally 2-lobed, thick. Inflorescence ca. 12 mm, 2–5-flowered, shorter than leaves. Fertile bracts minute, deciduous. Flowers greenish-yellow with brown stripes on sepals and petals, lip purplish, 1–1.2 cm across. Dorsal sepal oblong, 4 X 2 mm, acute. Lateral sepals elliptic-ovate, 6 X 3 mm, acute. Petals oblong, 4 X 1.5 mm, acute. Lip ca. 7 X 4.5 mm, fleshy, midlobe ca. 7 mm, broadly obtriangular, with attenuated fleshy apex, lateral lobes ca. 1 mm, erect, broad, obtuse, spur ca. 5 mm, conical, with nectary inside. Column ca 2.5 mm, with two slender, erect horns arising from the clinandrial wing.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal range: 300–600 m.
Ecology: Epiphyte on Shorea robusta.
Flowering: October–November.