Auxopus

The genus Auxopus from the orchid family (Orchidaceae) consists of three types. These plants not photosynthesize, but live mykoheterotroph. They occur in tropical Africa and Madagascar.

Description

The Auxopus species develop an elongated, fleshy, fusiform - thickened tuberous rhizome. This spring the yellowish- brown shoots. You are busy at the base with some low- leaves, and the leaves on the stem are greatly reduced. The shoot axis continues in a racemose inflorescence. The flowers are crowded at the top of the inflorescence axis. They are 'upside down small and brownish in color. The petals are - except for the lip, it is free - fused together at the base and form a tube. The tips of the upper sepals and the petals are bent back and enter the column -free. The lateral sepals are fused to tip each other. The lip is white, wider than the other petals, margin entire or slightly bilobed. At the base it is short fused with the column, there sit two yellow calluses. The column carries at the end of two appendages ( Stelidia ). The stamen is bent down with respect to the column axis, it contains four pollinia. The Klebdrüse ( Viscidium ) is bilobed, after removing a v - shaped incision remains in the rostellum. The flower stalks extend significantly to the maturity of the fruit capsules.

Dissemination

The species of the genus Auxopus are in tropical Africa, spread to Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The sites are in perpetually damp to intermittently dry forests. The plants grow in humus-rich soils.

Systematics and botanical history

The genus Auxopus is counted for tribes Gastrodieae. Related genera are Didymoplexis and Didymoplexiella.

The genus was described in 1905 by Rudolf Schlechter. Type species is kamerunensis Auxopus. The name Auxopus describes the elongating pedicels. There are three known types:

• Auxopus kamerunensis Schltr.
• Auxopus macranthus Summerh.
• Auxopus madagascariensis Schltr.

Documents

The information of this article come from mainly:

• Alec M. Pridgeon, Phillip Cribb, Mark W. Chase ( Ed.): Genera Orchidacearum. Epidendroideae ( Part one ). 2nd edition. 4/1, Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford 2005, ISBN 0-19-850712-7, pp. 437-439.
• L. Börje Segerbäck, Phillip Cribb, CZ Tang: Orchids of Nigeria. CRC Press, 1983, ISBN 9789061912170, pp. 29-30.

Moreover, quoting:

Postgraduate

• List of Orchid Genera

• Orchids
• Orchidaceae
• Mykoheterotrophe plant