Orchidaceae

Stichorkis Thouars

First published in Nouv. Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris 1: 318 (1809), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is W. Indian Ocean, Tropical Asia to SW. Pacific.

Descriptions

Hermans, J., Verlynde, S., Cribb, P. et al. Malaxideae (Orchidaceae) in Madagascar, the Mascarenes, Seychelles and Comoro Islands. Kew Bull 75, 1 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-019-9851-0

Morphology General Habit
Epiphytic or rarely terrestrial or lithophytic plants.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome creeping, covered by tubular scales.
Vegetative Multiplication Pseudobulbs
Stem pseudobulbous, erect, one-noded, clustered or not, covered when young by 2 5 sterile sheaths, one-leafed at apex.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf erect, linear or oblanceolate, conduplicate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence erect, racemose, rachis laterally flattened, shorter than peduncle; floral bracts distichous, imbricate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers non-resupinate, opening in succession, usually yellow, green, or orange, often translucent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals recurved, dorsal sepal free, lateral sepals sometimes fused for part or all of length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals free, often linear and unlike sepals, erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip often reflexed, entire or lobed, usually with a pad-like callus, concave at the base, lacking a spur.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column incurved-arcuate, laterally winged near apex; anther attached by a slender filament, biloculate, pollina waxy, ovoid bilaterally flattened, four in two parts, each with a small viscidium; stigma concave; rostellum thin-textured, blunt (adapted from Cribb in Pridgeon et al.2005: 483).
Distribution
A genus of some 38 species from the Mascarenes, Comoros, the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and the SW Pacific Islands. Pridgeon et al. (2005: 485) reports the genus from Madagascar in error.
Note
From the Greek Stichos, row or rank, and Orchis, orchid, in reference to the two distichous rows of bracts that characterise this genus.
[KBu]

Sources

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Bulletin

    • Kew Bulletin
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0