''Crepidium'', commonly known as 沼兰属 (zhao lan shu)
or spur orchids
is a
genus of about three hundred species of
orchids in the
family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are
evergreen, mostly
terrestrial plants with short stems lying on the ground, two or more relatively large,
pleated leaves and small, non-
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 " ...
flowers with spreading
sepals 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. The genus is widely distributed in the
tropics.
Description
Orchids in the genus ''Crepidium'' are
evergreen,
sympodial, mostly
terrestrial plants with fleshy stems lying on the ground although a few species are
epiphyte
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 ...
s. There are two to many relatively large, pleated leaves with their
petioles wrapped around the stem, the leaves sometimes lasting for up to three years. Small or tiny, non-resupinate flowers are borne along the end of the flowering stem. The flowers are green, yellow, red, brown or purple and have spreading sepals and petals. The
dorsal sepal is usually longer than the
lateral sepals and the petals usually shorter and narrower than the sepals. The
labellum is erect, flat and usually undivided with two ear-like lobes near its base. The
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
is short and has two relatively large wings. No nectar is produced and there are two pairs of waxy, yellow
pollinia.
Taxonomy and naming
The genus ''Crepidium'' was first raised and formally described in 1825 by
Carl Ludwig Blume and the description was published in his book ''Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië''.
The name ''Crepidium'' is derived from the
Latin word ''crepida'' meaning "boot", "sandal", "shoe" or "base",
possibly referring to the shape of the labellum. Some authors previously included species in this genus in ''
Malaxis'' but ''Crepidium'' have stems lying above ground, broad leaves and an undivided labellum with ear-like lobes.
Species
(See
List of species)
Distribution and habitat
Species of ''Crepidium'' are found in tropical countries including
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the
Indian subcontinent,
Southeast asia, northern
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 ...
,
New Guinea, and various islands of the
Pacific and
Indian Oceans. The greatest diversity is in New Guinea where about ninety species occur. Seventeen species, five of which are
endemic occur in China. In Australia there are five endemic species in tropical
Queensland and the
Northern Territory. Many species grow on the floor of rainforest but some are epiphytes on mossy tree trunks.
References
External links
*
Phyto Images, ''Crepidium'', 92 images
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1974080
Malaxideae genera
Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Blume