Orchid Information - Genus Bulbophyllum section Epicrianthes

Bulbophyllum sect. Epicrianthes (Blume) Hook.f., Flora Brit. India 5 (1890) 753. Type species: Bulbophyllum epicrianthes (Blume) Hook.f.

Synonyms:

• Genus Epicrianthes Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 306 [as 'Epicranthes']
• Subgenus Epicrianthes (Blume) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 705
• Section Polyrhopalon Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 705

Small to large epiphytes. Rhizomes patent to pendulous; rhizome bracts thin, glabrous to minutely colliculate, caducous with the veins hardly more persistent. Roots sprouting mainly near to the base of the rhizomes, growing backwards towards the substratum over or alongside the rhizome, glabrous or slightly and minutely hirsute locally. Pseudobulbs conspicuous compared to the size of the plant, 1-leafed, with shoots sprouting at its basal node and fused to the pseudobulb over less than half of the length of the latter, or shoots sprouting the same distance above its basal node, perforating the pseudobulb over the distance between its basal node and the spot of emergence. Leaves persistent, thick, veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences sprouting at the basal node of the pseudobulb only, sometimes also two nodes lower down on the same shoot; densely fasciculate, 1-flowered. Peduncle shorter than the pseudobulbs, peduncle bracts 1—3, near the base of the peduncle. Flowers per sympodium 1 open at a time; floral bracts tubular; pedicel with the basal node well above the attachment of the floral bract, approx. as long as the ovary. Sepals free, the laterals approx. as long as the median; 5—18.5 mm long, elliptic to ovate, acute to shortly acuminate; glabrous, (rather) thick, 3—9-veined. Petals 0.3—5.5 mm long excluding appendages, usually a narrow seam alongside the column base, also elliptic to ovate, distal margin with 3—24 appendages, margins otherwise entire, glabrous; thin to rather thick, 3—5-veined; surface glabrous; appendages differing in texture from the petal itself, stiff to mobile at the slightest air movement, usually thickened and/or widened distally (thread-like, not thickened in Bulbophyllum johannuli), surface colliculate to papillose (hirsute in Bulbophyllum phymatum). Lip mobile on a thin ligament, with or without slight auricles near the ligament, undivided, 1.3—7 mm long, elliptic to (ob-)ovate or oblong, margins entire, glabrous, projecting near the base of the lip, then converging over the adaxial side of the lip, usually until they almost meet, at that level usually clasping two more ridges running parallel to the median ridge, beyond that level either continuing parallel over the adaxial surface, or spreading again, adaxial surface glabrous, or distally increasingly rugose, verrucose or papillose; abaxial surface usually with a patch of conspicuous papillae or vesicles close to the margins, otherwise glabrous to papillose to hirsute. Column with rostellum front (somewhat) receding in between the stelidia, stigma slit-like to wide and rounded, without keels inside, proximally not protruding, column foot not widened towards its top, free part short; with or without small, antrorse lobes next to the ligament. Stelidia shorter than 1/2 of the length of the column; short but not vestigial, approx. deltoid to triangular, with or without a small tooth, or denticulate along the upper margin, usually with a minute, obliquely antrorse tooth along the lower margin, close to the tip, and/or a deltoid, rounded to acute wing lower down. Anther abaxially with a (low) rounded crest, front somewhat concave or not, front margin usually drawn out, emarginate. Pollinia 2, or 4, with the inner more or less than half as long as the outer, sometimes with a thick appendage

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