Pachystoma

Pachystoma, commonly known as kunai orchids[2] or 粉口兰属 (fen kou lan shu),[3] is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. They are deciduous, terrestrial herbs with one or two linear, pleated or veiny leaves and more or less drooping flowers which do not open widely, on a thin, wiry flowering stem. Species in this genus are found in tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia and islands of the southwest Pacific Ocean.

Kunai orchids
Pachystoma pubescens in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Collabieae
Genus: Pachystoma
Blume[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Pachychilus Blume
  • Apaturia Lindl.

Description

Orchids in the genus Pachystoma are deciduous, terrestrial herbs with a branching underground rhizome and one or two linear, papery, pleated or veiny leaves. A thin, wiry flowering stem bears smallish, pink drooping flowers that are hairy on the outside. The sepals and petals are similar in size and shape, the lateral sepals having a hump at their base. The labellum has three lobes, the middle lobe projecting forwards and the side lobes unusually large.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Pachystoma was first formally described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume and the description was published in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie.[5][6] The name Pachystoma is derived from the Ancient Greek words pachys meaning "thick"[7]:853 and stoma meaning "mouth",[7]:754 apparently referring to a thickened callus on the labellum.[4]

Species

The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families lists two species of Pachystoma as at October 2018:[1]

References
  1. "Pachystoma". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 360–361. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Chen, Xinqi; Wood, Jeffrey J. "Pachystoma". Flora of China. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. "Pachystoma". Trin Keys. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  5. "Pachystoma". APNI. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  6. Blume, Carl Ludwig (1825). Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indi. Batavia. p. 376. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. "Pachystoma nutans". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  9. "Pachystoma pubescens". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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