Pachyplectron

The genus Pachyplectron from the orchid family consists of three types. They are found only in New Caledonia.

Description

The Pachyplectron species are herbaceous, terrestrial plants growing. The roots are fleshy, smooth or hairy. They stand together in clumps, not individually distributed along a rhizome. The one to three basal leaves are long-petiolate. The leaf blade is shaped arrow-shaped to elliptical. The leaf color is reddish brown, brown or green. In Pachyplectron aphyllum, a mykoheterotrophen type, missing the leaves.

The terminal inflorescence is unbranched. Inflorescence axis, bracts, ovary and the outer sides of the sepals are hairy or hairless depending on the type. On Peduncle are some bracts; the bracts of the flowers are about as long as pedicel and ovary together. The flowers are 'upside, they do not open wide. The upward-facing sepal is concave or slightly dome shaped. The lateral sepals are oblong - elliptic, somewhat asymmetrical, the run-down on the ovary base includes the spur of the lip. The lateral inner petals ( petals ) are narrower and adhere to the edge of the upper sepal. The lip has at the base of a cylindrical spur that is parallel to ovary. The lamina of the lip is undivided, concave, it terminates the front cut off. The column is long and club-shaped. The scar consists of a coherent, heart-shaped to triangular surface. The stamen is in outline oval to kidney-shaped, it contains two pollinia, which are divided into two parts along deep. The consistency of the pollinia is soft and mealy, they are connected with a small, roundish viscid disc ( Viscidium ). Are formed capsule fruits.

Dissemination

Pachyplectron is distributed with three species in New Caledonia. The species grow in the shade of evergreen rain forests, in open woods and thickets, at altitudes from 100 to 1200 meters.

Botanical history and systematics

Pachyplectron was described in 1906 by Rudolf Schlechter with the type species Pachyplectron arifolium. The name derives from the Greek word pachys, "thick" and plectrum, " spur " from. Worse presented for this genus on its own subtribe Pachyplectroninae, as he looked at her isolated as kinship. Dressler kept this subtribe in, she placed in the tribe Cranichideae and held a kinship with the Spiranthinae and Manni Ella possible. After DNA testing Pachyplectron is the sister taxon to all other Goodyerinae and can be included in this subtribe.

The following species are counted to the genus Pachyplectron:

• Pachyplectron aphyllum T.Hashim.
• Pachyplectron arifolium Schltr.
• Pachyplectron neocaledonicum Schltr.