Lyroglossa

Lyroglossa is a genus of the orchid family ( Orchidaceae). It consists of only two species of herbaceous plants that are native to tropical America.

Description

The Lyroglossa species are small, terrestrial plants growing. The tufts springing roots are fleshy, fusiform - bulbous and hairy. Are three to four leaves spread on the shoot. They resemble bracts, mainly because they consist of a tubular enclosing the shoot base of the leaf, the leaf blade is very small, oval, pointed ending, translucent at the edges.

The terminal, racemose, glandular- hairy inflorescence is loosely filled with flowers that are more or less distinctly spiral. The flowers are green, the lip white with green veins. The hairy bracts are oval and pointed end. The ovary also hairy faces obliquely upward, it is very short -stalked, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, bent and twisted slightly. The sepals are formed about the same, the dorsal sepal is concave, the lateral sepals with some back curved tip, decurrent at the base of the column base and column with lip and a small nectar chamber forming. The petals adherent to the dorsal sepal. The lip is at the base of a short piece of wide narrow with a thickened rim ( nectaries ), earlier then spread and fiddle -shaped. It ends with a slightly recessed top. The column is short, it extends beyond the joint with the ovary out ( " pedestal " ), its bottom is rinnig and hairy. The scar consists of two forward-facing surfaces which are divided by the center fold extending lower side of the column. The stamen is oval - shaped hood, it ends pointed. The yellow pollinia are narrow oval with a narrow zungenförmigem Viscidium ( viscid ). The separation layers between stamen and stigma ( rostellum ) is narrowly triangular. The capsule fruit is oval, it contains numerous cigar-shaped seeds.

Occurrence

Lyroglossa occurs in a plurality of spaced from each other part areas in tropical America. These are located in Mexico and Belize ( Lyroglossa pubicaulis ) and to the north of South America, in southeastern Brazil ( Lyroglossa grisebachii ). The species growing in seasonally dry areas such as savannas, grasslands, and airy oak woods. They come right up to altitudes of 1400 meters.

Systematics and botanical history

Lyroglossa is classified within the tribe Cranichideae in the subtribe Spiranthinae. The genus was described in 1920 by Rudolf Schlechter. The name The name comes from the Greek ingredients λύρα lyra, " lyre ", and γλῶσσα glossa, "tongue", together; it refers to the shape of the lip. Lectotype is Lyroglossa grisebachii.