''Pleione'' is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of predominantly terrestrial but sometimes epiphytic or lithophytic, miniature

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of floweri ...

s. This genus is named after Pleione, mother of the

Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance ...

(in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

), and comprises about 20

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

. Common names of this genus include peacock orchid, glory of the east, Himalayan crocus, Indian crocus and windowsill orchid. The genus ''Diploconchium'' Schauer is generally included here. ''Pleione'' is abbreviated to Pln in trade journals.

Name

''Pleione'' is named after the water-nymph Pleione of Greek mythology.

Growth

The

sympodial Sympodial growth is a bifurcating branching pattern where one branch develops more strongly than the other, resulting in the stronger branches forming the primary shoot and the weaker branches appearing laterally. A sympodium, also referred to a ...

growth habit of terrestrial ''Pleione'' orchids is unusual. They have relatively large, spongy, almost

globular A globular cluster is a spheroidal conglomeration of stars. Globular clusters are bound together by gravity, with a higher concentration of stars towards their centers. They can contain anywhere from tens of thousands to many millions of membe ...

or ampulliform pseudobulbs, narrowed at the apex. Every pseudobulb is only active for one year and carries one or two pleated parallel-veined

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

, with a length of . These drop off before winter. The pseudobulb stays dormant, till a new one starts to develop. This one produces new roots and a short pedicel. This pseudobulb remains active till the end of the bloom. Then the whole cycle starts all over again. The big, showy

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s originate from new shoots formed at the base of the pseudobulb. They are pink to purplish, white or yellow, while the fringed, tubular

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

is often paler or white, with yellow, red or purple dots and stripes. The flowers of the mountain species start blooming in spring, while the new shoots develop. The flowers of the orchids, growing in warmer climates, bloom in autumn, when the leaves have dropped. They are very closely related to the genus '' Coelogyne'' and were once considered part of it.

Distribution and habitat

''Pleione'' is distributed in the mountains and foothills of the Himalayas, India, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The species are well adapted to cold temperatures and even frost. A few, however, prefer warmer temperatures. They grow in well-drained habitats and on rocks covered with moss at altitudes of .

Species

*''

Pleione albiflora Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' (China – W. Yunnan to N. Burma). *''

Pleione aurita Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' (China – W. Yunnan). *''

Pleione autumnalis Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' *''

Pleione arunachalensis Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' *''

Pleione bulbocodioides Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' (C. China to SE. Tibet). *''

Pleione chunii ''Pleione chunii'' is a species of plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is endemic to southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. ...

'' (S. China). *'' Pleione coronaria'' (C. Nepal). *''

Pleione dilamellata Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' *''

Pleione formosana ''Pleione formosana'', the Taiwan pleione or windowsill orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to southeastern China as well as northern and central Taiwan. It is a deciduous perennial, terrestrial orchid gr ...

'': Taiwan pleione (SE. China, N. & C. Taiwan). *''

Pleione forrestii ''Pleione forrestii'' is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is endemic to Yunnan in China.Pleione grandiflora'' (China – S. Yunnan to NW. Vietnam). *'' Pleione hookeriana'' (Nepal to China – SE. Yunnan to N. Guangdong to Indo-China). *'' Pleione humilis'' (C. Himalaya to Burma). *'' Pleione kaatiae'' *'' Pleione limprichtii'': hardy Chinese orchid (China – C. Sichuan). *'' Pleione maculata'' (C. Himalaya to China – W. Yunnan). *'' Pleione microphylla'' (China – Guangdong). *'' Pleione pleionoides'' (C. China). *'' Pleione praecox'' (WC. Himalaya to China – S. Yunnan), type species. *'' Pleione saxicola'' (E. Bhutan to China – NW. Yunnan). *'' Pleione scopulorum'' (India – NE. Arunachal Pradesh to China – NW. Yunnan). *'' Pleione vietnamensis'' (SC. Vietnam). *'' Pleione yunnanensis'' (SC. China to N. Burma).

Natural hybrids

*''Pleione'' × ''christianii'' (''P. yunnanensis'' × ''P. forrestii'') (China – W. Yunnan). *''Pleione'' × ''confusa'' (''P. albiflora'' × ''P. forrestii'') (China – W. Yunnan). *''Pleione'' × ''kohlsii'' (''P. aurita'' × ''P. forrestii'') (China – W. Yunnan). *''Pleione'' × ''lagenaria'' (''P. maculata'' × ''P. praecox'') (Assam to China – W. Yunnan). *''Pleione'' × ''taliensis'' (''P. bulbocodioides'' × ''P. yunnanensis'') (China – W. Yunnan).

Taxonomy

It has been suggested that ''P. bulbocodioides'', ''P. limprichtii'' and ''P. pleionoides'' could all be the same species. Currently, there are two sections in the genus ''Pleione'': * section Pleione (includes the autumn-flowered species): ''P.'' × ''lagenaria'', ''P. maculata'', ''P. praecox'', ''P. saxicola'' * section Humiles (includes the spring-flowering species): ''P. albiflora'', ''P. bulbocodioides'', ''P. chunii'', ''P.'' × ''confusa'', ''P. coronaria'', ''P. formosana'', ''P. forrestii'', ''P. grandiflora'', ''P. hookeriana'', ''P. praecox'', ''P.'' × ''kohlsii'', ''P.'' ''limprichtii'', ''P. pleionoides'', ''P. scopulorum'', ''P. yunnanensis''

Cultivation

They are easily grown by the layman, easy to propagate and are among the most popular orchids. They are much in demand for hybridization. Numerous garden hybrids have been produced, of which the following have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

:- *''Pleione'' Shantung grex 'Muriel Harberd'

Nothogenera

Hybrids of ''Pleione'' with other genera are placed in the following nothogenera:Alphabetical One-Table List of Genera and Intergeneric Hybrids
Royal Horticultural Society, 2017. * '' Pleionilla'' (''Plnl.'') = ''Pleione'' × ''

Bletilla ''Bletilla'', common name urn orchid, is a temperate, terrestrial genus of orchids containing five currently recognized species distributed through China, Japan, Taiwan, south to Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. The name is actually a diminutive ...

'' * '' Coeleione'' (''Coeln.'') = ''Pleione'' × '' Coelogyne''

References

Notes

* Phillip Cribb & Ian Butterfield : The Genus ''Pleione'' (Second Edition 1999) Natural History Publications in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. * C. Z. Tang & I. Butterfield. 1983. The genus ''Pleione''. Curtis’s Bot. Mag. 184: 93—147.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pleione (plant) Arethuseae genera