ORCHIDACEAE
Phreatia Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 63 (1830).
By: Bhakta B. Raskoti
Taxon Description
Epiphytic herbs. Stems pseudobulbous or caulescent, very short or elongate. Leaves articulate, distichous or flabellate, erect or spreading. Inflorescences lateral or arising from base of pseudobulb, racemose, densely to laxly flowered. Flowers resupinate, white or pale green, widely opening or only half opening. Sepals similar, free or connivent; lateral sepals often adnate to column foot. Petals free, smaller than sepals. Lip entire or obscurely 3-lobed, often attached to end of column foot, base concave or sometimes saccate. Column short, with a foot; anther terminal; pollinia 8, attached by a short caudicle to ovate viscidium.
Taxon Statistics
About 221 species, in Assam-Burma, Australasia, E Asia, East Himalaya, S Asia, SE Asia, W Himalaya. One species in Nepal.
1. Phreatia elegans Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 63 (1830).
Eria elegans (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Thelasis elegans (Lindl.) Blume
Plants 15–27 cm tall. Pseudobulbs narrowly ovoid, sheathed, 0.5–1 × 0.4–0.6 cm, tufted, compressed, base with fascicled roots. Leaves coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, 7–13 × 0.6– 1.5 cm, base tapering, apex bifid, base tapering. Inflorescence elongate, racemose, 15–27 cm, arising from base of pseudobulbs, rachis 7–10 cm, densely flowered. Peduncle bracts broadly ovate, 5–10 × 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 2–3 × 0.5–1 mm, apex acuminate. Flower white, 1.5–2 mm across, pedicel and ovary slightly curved, 1.5–2 mm. Dorsal sepal ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, apex subacute. Lateral sepals ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, apex subacute, base adnate to column foot. Petals elliptic, 0.5–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex obtuse. Lip entire, obovate, fleshy, ca. 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, apex obtuse, scabrous, base attached to ca. 0.5 mm column foot. Column ca. 0.5 mm. Fruit not seen.
Distribution: Nepal, Assam-Burma, E Himalaya, S Asia and W Himalaya.
Altitudinal range: 1600 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on Daphniphyllum tree.
Flowering: July–August. Fruiting: September–November.