''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of usually leafless,

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

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 flowering ...

s found in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' are epiphytic or lithophytic, usually leafless

monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek "mono-", ''one'' and "podial", "foot", in refe ...

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with flat, green,

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...

roots radiating from a short, central

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. The flowers are arranged on long, thin flowering stems, open sporadically in groups and only last for a few hours to one or two days. They are small and

resupinate Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

, with the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s more or less similar in size and shape to each other but different from the labellum which has three lobes. The side lobes of the labellum are erect and larger than the middle lobe which is slipper-shaped.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Chiloschista'' was first described in 1832 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

in ''

Edwards's Botanical Register ''The Botanical Register'', subsequently known as ''Edwards's Botanical Register'', was an illustrated horticultural magazine that ran from 1815 to 1847. It was started by the botanical illustrator Sydenham Edwards, who had previously illustrate ...

''. The name ''Chiloschista'' is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

words meaning "lip" or "rim" and meaning "split" or "divided". Twenty species of ''Chiloschista'' are recognised by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected plan ...

as at December 2018: * ''

Chiloschista extinctoriformis ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 178 (1988) * ''

Chiloschista exuperei ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' (Guillaumin) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 166 (1972) * ''

Chiloschista fasciata ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' (F.Muell.) Seidenf. & Ormerod, Opera Bot. 124: 64 (1995) * ''

Chiloschista glandulosa ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Blatt. & McCann, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 488 (1932) * ''

Chiloschista godefroyana ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4: 275 (1919) * ''

Chiloschista guangdongensis ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Z.H.Tsi, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 481 (1984) * ''

Chiloschista loheri ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 491 (1921) * ''

Chiloschista lunifera ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' (Rchb.f.) J.J.Sm., Orch. Java: 553 (1905) * ''

Chiloschista parishii ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 176 (1988) * '' Chiloschista phyllorhiza'' (F.Muell.) Schltr. – white starfish orchid,

* '' Chiloschista ramifera'' Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 179 (1988) * '' Chiloschista rodriguezii'' Cavestro & Ormerod, Orchidophile (Asnières) 166: 180 (2005) * '' Chiloschista segawae'' (Masam.) Masam. & Fukuy., Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 52: 247 (1938) * '' Chiloschista sweelimii'' Holttum, Orchid Rev. 74: 147 (1966) * '' Chiloschista taeniophyllum'' (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 492 (1921) * '' Chiloschista treubii'' (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 492 (1921) * ''

Chiloschista trudelii ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' a ...

'' Seidenf., Orchidee (Hamburg) 38: 310 (1987) * '' Chiloschista usneoides'' (D.Don) Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 18: t. 1522 (1832) * '' Chiloschista viridiflava'' Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 175 (1988) * '' Chiloschista yunnanensis'' Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4: 74 (1919)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2248680 Vandeae genera