Orchids of New Guinea

Species

Next Genus: Genus Agrostophyllum section Agrostophyllum

Genus Agrostophyllum

Agrostophyllum Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 368

Synonyms:

Genus Appendiculopsis (Schltr.) Szlach., Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Supp. 3 (1995) 119
Genus Chitonochilus, Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb. Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 134
Genus Diploconchium Schauer, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 19

Sympodial epiphytic or rarely terrestrial plants with very short to somewhat elongated rhizomes. Stems elongated, with few to many internodes, sometimes swollen into slender, flattened pseudobulbs. Leaves few to many, arranged in two rows, sheathing at the base, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, thin-textured but rather stiff; leaf-sheaths usually with black or brown margins. Inflorescence terminal [at least seemingly so] or rarely lateral, very short, 1- or few-flowered, usually produced in head-like clusters. Flowers small, resupinate or not, white or yellowish, sometimes with purple or yellow markings on the lip. Ovary usually with a few scattered scale-hairs. Sepals free. Petals free, about as long as but much narrower than the dorsal sepal. Lip without spur, but sometimes sac-shaped at the base, not mobile, usually clearly divided into a cup-shaped basal part and a flat apical part. Column-foot indistinct or absent. Pollinia 8, solid, caudicles absent, stipe absent, viscidium present.

Distribution:

Seychelles, tropical Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific islands, east to Samoa. About 60 species; in New Guinea c. 40 species.

Habitat:

Usually epiphytic on tree trunks and thick branches in lowland and montane forest.

Classification:

Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Undetermined
Subtribe Agrostophyllinae
Genus Agrostophyllum

Literature:

Schuiteman, A. 1997. Revision of Agrostophyllum Blume section Appendiculopsis Schltr. (Orchidaceae), with notes on the systematics of Agrostophyllum. Orchid Monogr. 8: 1-20.

Notes:

Members of this genus are as a rule easily recognised by the head-like clusters of small whitish-flowered inflorescences at the apex of the stems. In section Dolichodesme the clusters of small whitish-flowered inflorescences are arranged spaced along the leafless top part of the stem, or in a more or less densely branched panicle.The black or brown margins of the leaf-sheaths are also highly characteristic, although these are paralleled in some species of Phreatia. Agrostophyllum is almost unknown in cultivation, but quite common in the wild. Schlechter (Schlechter, 1911-1914) divided Agrostophyllum in 4 sections, all of which are encountered in New Guinea.

The subdivision of the Genus Agrostophyllum in 4 sections: Agrostophyllum, Dolichodesme, Oliganthe and Appendiculopsis is still useful for identification purposes, but possibly it is not a natural one, in that species with morphologically very similar flowers can be found in sect. Agrostophyllum (e.g. Agrostophyllum uniflorum and its allies), sect. Oliganthe (Agrostophyllum superpositum) and sect. Dolichodesme (e.g. Agrostophyllum earinoides).

KEY TO THE SECTIONS OF GENUS AGROSTOPHYLLUM

1a. Rhizome much elongated, stem-like, pendulous, rooting at its base only, with relatively short stems spaced along the rhizome == Agrostophyllum section Oliganthe
1b. Rhizome creeping, more or less short, rooting along its entire length; stems more or less tufted, more or less elongated == 2

2a. Clusters of short inflorescerences arranged well apart along the elongated leafless apical part of the stem == Agrostophyllum section Dolichodesme
2b. Inflorescences arranged in a dense terminal head-like cluster of short inflorescences == 3

3a. Leaves numerous, at almost right angles to the stem (less than 3.5 cm. long), short and broad, abruptly contracted between the blade and the leaf sheath == Agrostophyllum section Appendiculopsis
3b. Leaves usually rather few and in most species longer and more slender, at more or less acute angle to the stem, not abruptly contracted between the blade and the leaf sheath == Agrostophyllum section Agrostophyllum

This subdivision is still useful for identification purposes, but possibly it is not a natural one, in that species with morphologically very similar flowers can be found in sect. Agrostophyllum (e.g. Agrostophyllum uniflorum and its allies), sect. Oliganthe (Agrostophyllum superpositum) and sect. Dolichodesme (e.g. Agrostophyllum earinoides).

Genus Agrostophyllum in New Guinea contains 4 sections:

Section Agrostophyllum
Section Appendiculopsis
Section Dolichodesme
Section Oliganthe

Genus Agrostophyllum in New Guinea contains the following 75 species and 4 subspecies/varieties:79

Agrostophyllum acuminatum
Agrostophyllum acutum
Agrostophyllum alticola
Agrostophyllum appendiculoides
Agrostophyllum arabukanum
Agrostophyllum atrobrunneum
Agrostophyllum barkeri
Agrostophyllum beleense
Agrostophyllum bilobolabellatum
Agrostophyllum bimaculatum
Agrostophyllum brachiatum
Agrostophyllum brassii
Agrostophyllum carex
Agrostophyllum carrianum
Agrostophyllum cheirophyton
Agrostophyllum compressum
Agrostophyllum crassicaule
Agrostophyllum crassicaule var. bismarckiense
Agrostophyllum crassilabium
Agrostophyllum curvilabre
Agrostophyllum cyatheicola
Agrostophyllum cycloglossum
Agrostophyllum cyclopense
Agrostophyllum daymanense
Agrostophyllum dischorense
Agrostophyllum dolichophyllum
Agrostophyllum earinoides
Agrostophyllum elatum
Agrostophyllum elongatum
Agrostophyllum fibrosum
Agrostophyllum flexuosum
Agrostophyllum flexuosum subsp. telefominense
Agrostophyllum flexuosum subsp. peloricum
Agrostophyllum fragrans
Agrostophyllum gahavisukae
Agrostophyllum graminifolium
Agrostophyllum graminifolium subsp. rotundilabium
Agrostophyllum grandiflorum
Agrostophyllum grubbianum
AgrostophylIum grubbianum subsp. kaironkense
Agrostophyllum habbemense
Agrostophyllum huonense
Agrostophyllum isuaravum
Agrostophyllum kairoanum
Agrostophyllum kaniense
Agrostophyllum kerenganum
Agrostophyllum korubunense
Agrostophyllum lamellatum
Agrostophyllum leucocephalum
Agrostophyllum libanoanum
Agrostophyllum lisowskii
Agrostophyllum longinode
Agrostophyllum macrocephalum
Agrostophyllum majus
Agrostophyllum megalurum
Agrostophyllum militare
Agrostophyllum milneanum
Agrostophyllum montanum
Agrostophyllum montis-jayanum
Agrostophyllum mucronatum
Agrostophyllum neoguineense
Agrostophyllum nidus-avis
Agrostophyllum niveum
Agrostophyllum paniculatum
Agrostophyllum papuanum
Agrostophyllum parviflorum
Agrostophyllum patentissimum
Agrostophyllum pelorioides
Agrostophyllum potamophilum
Agrostophyllum reeveanum
Agrostophyllum rigidifolium
Agrostophyllum sepikanum
Agrostophyllum spicatum
Agrostophyllum spinuliferum
Agrostophyllum stenophyllum
Agrostophyllum subacuminatum
Agrostophyllum torricellense
Agrostophyllum triquetrum
Agrostophyllum uniflorum
Agrostophyllum ventricosum
Agrostophyllum verruciferum
Agrostophyllum wagiribuanum
Agrostophyllum woitapense
Agrostophyllum yanemense