''Thelasis'', commonly known as fly orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are usually epiphytes, sometimes lithophytes or rarely Terrestrial plant, terrestrials. Some species have pseudobulbs with up to three leaves, whilst others have several leaves in two ranks. A large number of small, white or greenish yellow flowers are borne on a thin, arching flowering stem. There are about thirty species, distributed from Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical Asia to the southwest Pacific Ocean, Pacific.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Thelasis'' are mostly epiphytic or lithophytic, rarely terrestrial sympodial Herbaceous plant, herbs with thin roots. They often have small pseudobulbs with up to three leaves but sometimes have flattened stems with several leaves in two ranks. Many small white or greenish yellow flowers are crowded on a thin arching flowering stem. The flowers are Resupination, resupinate, tube-shaped near the base with sepals and petals free from and similar to each other although with the petals usually shorter and narrower. The Labellum (botany), labellum is stiffly attached to the base of the Column (botany), column and lacks lobes.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Thelasis'' was first formally described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume who published the description in ''Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië ''. The name ''Thelasis'' is derived from the Ancient Greek word ''thelazo'' meaning "suckle" or "nurse", possibly referring to a small nipple-like structure on the column.

Species list

The following is a list of species of ''Thelasis'' accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as at January 2019: * ''Thelasis abbreviata'' (Schltr.) W.Kittr. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis angustifolia'' J.J.Sm. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis bifolia'' Hook.f. - Assam * ''Thelasis borneensis'' Schltr. - Borneo * ''Thelasis capitata'' Blume - conical fly orchid, Christmas Island, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines * ''Thelasis carinata'' Blume - triangular fly orchid, Queensland, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa * ''Thelasis carnosa'' Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames - Sabah * ''Thelasis cebolleta'' J.J.Sm. - Borneo * ''Thelasis celebica'' Schltr. - Sulawesi * ''Thelasis compacta'' Schltr. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis copelandii'' Kraenzl. in H.G.A.Engler - New Guinea * ''Thelasis cycloglossa'' Schltr. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis edelfeldtii'' Kraenzl. in H.G.A.Engler - New Guinea * ''Thelasis gautierensis'' J.J.Sm. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis globiceps'' J.J.Sm. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis javanica'' J.J.Sm. - Java * ''Thelasis khasiana'' Hook.f. - Yunnan, Assam, Thailand, Vietnam * ''Thelasis longifolia'' Hook.f. - Nepal, India, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam * ''Thelasis macrobulbon'' Ridl - Malaysia, Borneo * ''Thelasis mamberamensis'' J.J.Sm. - New Guinea * ''Thelasis micrantha'' (Brongn.) J.J.Sm. - Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea * ''Thelasis obtusa'' Blume - Bali, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Philippines * ''Thelasis perpusilla'' (C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f.) Schuit. – Indochina * ''Thelasis pygmaea'' (Griff.) Lindl. - Hainan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Yunnan Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Bhutan, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Bismarck Islands, Solomon Islands * ''Thelasis rhomboglossa'' (Schltr.) Kraenzl. in H.G.A.Engler - Sumatra * ''Thelasis succosa'' Carr - Malaysia * ''Thelasis variabilis'' Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames - Sabah, Sarawak * ''Thelasis wariana'' (Schltr.) Schuit. & de Vogel - New Guinea

Distribution

Orchids in the genus ''Thelasis'' are found in China, Taiwan, the Indian Subcontinent, the Andaman Islands, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, the Maluku Islands, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Christmas Island, the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Queensland, Queensland (Australia) and Samoa.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1306625 Thelasis, Podochileae genera

Description

Taxonomy and naming

Species list

Distribution

See also

References