ORCHIDACEAE
Taeniophyllum Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 355 (1825).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Monopodial epiphytes. Roots spreading, terete, appressed, green. Stem short. Leaves absent or reduced to brown scales. Inflorescence a few- to many-flowered raceme, with the flowers opening in succession. Flowers small, resupinate. Sepals all connate. Petals connate to the sepals, similar to the dorsal sepal. Lip attached to the base of the column, base saccate, entire. Column short and stout, without a foot, pollinia 4, solid, stipe present, viscidium present.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 120 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia to Pacific. One species in Nepal.
1. Taeniophyllum scaberulum Hook. f., Fl., Brit. In. 6: 77 (1890).
Roots subterete, 20–40 X 2 mm. Inflorescence spike 1–3, ca. 15 mm, erect, produced from the centre of the reduced stem, 1–6-flowered, peduncle ca. 6 mm, angular, scaberulous. Bracts ca. 1 X 0.75 mm, ovate, acute, entire, persistent. Flowers creamy white, ca. 3.8 mm, subsessile. Sepals similar, 1 mm, oblong, subacute, one veined. Petals 1 mm, oblong, subacute, one veined. Lip 2.75 X 1 mm, ovate, acute, tip recurved. Column 0.4 mm. Capsule, oblong, ribbed, scaburulous.
Distribution: Nepal, SW India.
Altitudinal range: 1500 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on Ficus neriifolia.
Flowering: May — July.