Genus Dilochia
Dilochia Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 38
Synonyms:
Sympodial, terrestrial, rarely lithophytic or epiphytic herbs. Rhizome very short. Stems clustered, stout, slender, tall, not branching, cylindrical, glabrous; above leafy, below covered by sheaths. Leaves many, arranged in two rows, duplicate, distichous, suberect, glabrous, deciduous, convolute, thin-textured but rather stiff coriaceous; leaf sheath tubular, articulate; leaf blade elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate. Inflorescence terminal, a raceme or a sparingly to much branched panicle, many-flowered; peduncle terete, with several sterile bracts; rachis cylindrical; floral bracts longer than the ovaries, spathac-like, conspicuous, papery, caducous . Flowers resupinate, medium-sized to rather large, showy but not opening widely. Pedicel and ovary cylindrical. Median sepal free, hooded over the column. Lateral sepals free, similar to the median sepal, oblique. Petals free, linear-lanceolate, smaller than the sepals. Lip not mobile, 3-lobed, without spur, with 3-5 smooth to verruculose keels from base to apex; hypochile with erect lateral lobes; epichile reflexed, with entire apex. Column clavate, somewhat incurved, narrowly winged; without column foot; anther 4-locular; pollinia 8 in 2 groups of 4, solid, laterally compressed, without caudicles; stigma semi-circular; rostellum a broad flap, without stipe or viscidium. Fruit a capsule, subglobose to ellipsoid.
(after Suddee 2014)
Thailand, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea. About 6 species; in New Guinea one, non-endemic, species (Dilochia wallichii Lindl.).
Usually terrestrial in shrubby and swampy vegetation on poor soil, also epiphytic on tall trees, in the lowlands as well as in the mountains.
- Holttum, R.E., Revis. Fl. Malaya 1, ed. 2 (1957) 190
- Comber, J., Orchids Java (1990) 88
- Comber, J., Orchids Sumatra (2001) 303
- Beaman T.E., et al., Orch. Sarawak (2001) 286
- Pridgeon et al. (eds), Gen. Orchid. 4 (2005) 58
- Suddee, S., Fl. Thailand 12, 2 (2014) 490
- Subfamily Epidendroideae
- Tribe Arethuseae
- Subtribe Coelogyninae
- Genus Dilochia
Dilochia has cane-like plants somewhat similar to Arundina, but the terminally produced flowers are far less showy, not at all Cattleya-like. In addition, the flowers of Dilochia are not produced one-by-one as in Arundina, and they last longer. Dilochia is rarely seen in cultivation, but not difficult to cultivate.
The genus Dilochia contains c. 8 species. In New Guinea Dilochia is present with species:
Dilochia wallichii
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Genus Dilochia
Dilochia wallichii Lindl., in situ, photo A. Schuiteman, from Borneo, Sarawak, Bario
Genus Dilochia
Dilochia wallichii Lindl., flowers, photo A. Schuiteman, from Borneo, Sarawak, Bario
Genus Dilochia
Dilochia wallichii Lindl., floral analysis, drawing J.J. Smith, based on Lörzing 5377, from Sumatra