ORCHIDACEAE
Uncifera Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3: 39 (1858).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Plants monopodial, epiphytic, arching or pendulous. Stem slender, elongate, straight or weakly zigzag. Leaves few, overlapping, distichous, fleshy, oblong-lanceolate or linear lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence racemose, leaf-opposed, pendulous, many-flowered. Flowers small to medium-sized, creamy yellow or yellowish green, crowded. Sepals and petals free, similar. Lip simple or 3-lobed, spurred at base, funnel shaped, spur curved forward. Column terete, stipes long, linear, backward-turned, upper end of the clinandrium hooked, pollinia 2, glandular, cleft, attached to the stipe, viscidium tapering towards both ends.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about six species, distributed in Himalayas through SE Asia to Vietnam. Two species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1a Stem straight. Fertile bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 2.5 mm. Lip 3-lobed ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1. U. acuminata
b Stem weakly zigzag. Fertile bracts broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm. Lip entire ………………………………………………………………………………… 2. U. lancifolia
1. Uncifera acuminata Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 40 (1858).
Plants 10–20 cm. Stem arching, slender, straight, ca. 5 mm thick, many-noded. Leaves 5–8, oblong-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 5–9 X 0.5–1.2 cm, base sheathing, sheath ca. 1.5 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescence ca. 7 cm, densely many-flowered. Peduncle 3–4 cm, with 2 sterile bracts. Rachis ca. 2 cm. Fertile bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 2.5 mm. Flowers yellowish green, not opening widely, slightly fleshy. Pedicel and ovary 5–7 mm. Sepals subsimilar, broadly ovate, 6–7 X ca. 5 mm, obtuse. Petals ovate, ca. 6 X 4 mm, apex obtuse. Lip ca. 3.5 mm, 3-lobed, midlobe ovate-triangular, small, fleshy spurred at base, lateral lobes erect, suborbicular; mid-lobe ovate-triangular, small, fleshy; spur funnel-shaped, strongly curved forward and hooked. Column ca. 3 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma, SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1200–1600 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in dense forests.
Flowering: April–July.
As the specimen (H. Hara et al. 6305501 TI!) is not in good enough for studying flower characters, the floral characters described above is based on Flora of China.
2. Uncifera lancifolia (King and Pantl.) Schltr., Orchideen ed. 1: 583 (1914).
Saccolabium lancifolium King and Pantl., J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 65(2): 122 (1896).
Plants up to 20 cm. Stem pendulous, slender, weakly zigzag, covered by leaf sheaths; sheaths 2.2–2.5 cm. Leaves 7–10, linear-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 4.5–14 X 0.7–1 cm, base sheathing, apex acuminate. Inflorescence 3–5cm, densely many-flowered. Peduncle 1.5–3 mm, slender, with a few sterile bracts. Rachis as long as peduncle. Fertile bracts broadly ovate, 1 mm, shorter than the ovary. Flowers creamy yellow with few brown streaks at apex, 5 mm across, not opening widely, sessile. Pedicel and ovary ca. 6 mm. Sepals subsimilar, broadly ovate, ca. 5 X 3 mm, concave, obtuse; lateral sepals slightly oblique. Petals oblong, ca. 4 X 2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Lip ca. 8 mm, entire, boat-shaped, spur funnel-shaped, strongly curved forward and hooked, lateral lobes not prominent. Column ca. 4 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma, SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 2000 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on Quercus sp.
Flowering: June–July.
This is a new record for Nepal.