Odontochilus
Odontochilus lanceolatus, Illustration of 1918 from Curtis 's Botanical Magazine
The genus Odontochilus from the orchid family (Orchidaceae) consists of 26 species. The small, herbaceous plants are common in the forests of East and Southeast Asia.
Description
Odontochilus species have a creeping rhizome, from which spring the shoots. The thread-like roots arise singly at the nodes of the rhizome. The leaves are distributed to the stem axis or are forced into a loose rosette. The short petiole includes the stems. The leaf blade is ovate- lanceolate to almost round, their color is green to reddish, rarely occur mottled or laminated with bright stripes leaves. Few species are mykoheterotrophe plants without leaves.
The terminal, racemose or bloom inflorescence may be hairy or hairless. On Peduncle are one or more stems comprehensive bracts to the bracts of the flowers are as long as pedicel and ovary. The ovary is twisted, the flowers are 'upside down by it. The three outer petals ( sepals ) may be free or to grow together about half. The two lateral petals stick with the top edge at the upper sepal. The lip is divided into three parts: the base ( Hypochil ) is hemispherically shaped, inside there are two glandular appendages. The middle part ( Mesochil ) of the lip is narrow and rolled into a tube, the edges of the lip are here beaded and provided with various appendages. The end of the lip is broad and entire to bilobed. The column can be of various shapes: straight to s -shaped bend, twist sometimes asymmetrical. At the edge of the column there are two membranous to fleshy wings. The stamen is oval, it contains two club-shaped to pear- shaped pollinia. These are connected by stalks with a small adhesive plate ( Viscidium ). The scar consists of two juxtaposed or entirely connected to each other surfaces. The separation between scar tissue and stamen ( rostellum ) is triangular, after removal of the Viscidiums remains a zweilappiger rest is formed an oval capsule fruit.
Counts of the chromosomes found x = 15 as the basic number for each species is the set of chromosomes 2n = 60, 2n = 120, at Odontochilus inabae were 2n = 28 counted.
Dissemination
The genus Odontochilus is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of East and Southeast Asia. In the West, the boundary of the distribution runs through India, the northern boundary runs along the southern flank of the Himalayas. Colonized the southern part of Japan, the southern China and Taiwan, Indochina, Malaysia and the islands of Indonesia. In the southwest of the area up to New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa last.
The plants grow in the understory of moist forests. They come right up to altitudes of 2300 meters.
Systematics and botanical history
The genus Odontochilus is provided within the family of orchids in the tribe Cranichideae and there in the subtribes Goodyerinae. Differentiation from related genus Anoectochilus is handled differently: sometimes it is regarded as a synonym, and the assignment of individual species varied. Carl Ludwig Blume introduced the genus 1858. The name is derived from the Greek words ὀδούς odontos, "tooth" and χεῖλος cheilos, " lip " and refers to the serrated edge of the middle part of the lip.
The following species are considered by the Kew Gardens as valid:
- Odontochilus acalcaratus ( Aver. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus asraoa ( J.Joseph & Abbar. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus brevistylus Hook.f.
- Odontochilus clarkei Hook.f.
- Odontochilus crispus ( Lindl. ) Hook.f.
- Odontochilus degeneri L.O.Williams
- Odontochilus duplex ( Holttum ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus elwesii C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f.
- Odontochilus grandiflorus ( Lindl. ) Hook.f.
- Odontochilus guangdongensis SCChen, SWGale & PJCribb
- Odontochilus hasseltii ( flower) J.J.Wood
- Odontochilus hydrocephalus ( J.J.Sm. ) J.J.Wood
- Odontochilus inabae ( Hayata ) Hayata ex T.P.Lin
- Odontochilus lanceolatus ( Lindl. ) flower
- Odontochilus longiflorus ( Rchb.f. ) Benth. & Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks.
- Odontochilus macranthus Hook.f.
- Odontochilus nanlingensis ( LPSiu & KYLang ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus poilanei ( Gagnep. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus reniformis ( Hook.f. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus saprophyticus ( Aver. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus serriformis ( J.J.Sm. ) J.J.Wood
- Odontochilus tashiroi ( Maxim. ) Makino
- Odontochilus tetrapterus ( Hook.f. ) Av.Bhattacharjee & HJChowdhery
- Odontochilus tortus King & Pantl.
- Odontochilus umbrosus ( Aver. ) Ormerod
- Odontochilus uniflorus ( flower) HAPedersen & Ormerod