Sacoila

Sacoila lanceolata

Sacoila is a genus of the orchid family ( Orchidaceae). It contains six species that are native to tropical America.

Description

The Sacoila species are herbaceous plants. On a short rhizome roots are in bunches, they are fleshy, thickened bulbous stalked, glabrous or hairy. The leaves are in a basal or something the stalk up reaching rosette. In its heyday, they are usually already wilted. The leaf shape is oval to lanceolate, the leaf base cuneate to run, there is no petiole. The leaf edges may be slightly translucent.

The terminal, racemose inflorescence is hairy at the top. Some green or reddish- brown, ciliate bracts envelop him partially. The numerous, closely spaced flowers are 'upside down meaty, no fragrance, its color is light green, yellow or red. The green or red bracts are lanceolate. The hairy ovary is stalked, often curved, spindle-shaped, often slightly asymmetrical in shape. The sepals are hairy on the outside, abut each other to form a tube, their tips are bent back. The upward-pointing ( dorsal) sepal is lanceolate and concave, the lateral sepals are fused at their base for a short distance to each other, decurrent on the column and with this a spur -forming. The petals lie on the dorsal sepal and stick with their inner edges there on. The lip is sitting at the base wedge-shaped with thickened edges ( nectaries ). The lamina of the lip is rinnig, the pages are bent upwards and adhere to the column, the lip ends pointed and bent down slightly. The column is short, hairy on the bottom, at the base of the joint with the ovary in projection ( " pedestal " ), this pedestal fused with a piece of the ovary, but then released. The scar is semicircular and faces forward. The stamen is in outline oval or lanceolate, forward it ends pointed. It contains white to pale yellow, narrow club-shaped pollinia are attached to a common viscid disc ( Viscidium ). The separation layers between stamen and stigma ( rostellum ) is stiff, pointed, narrowly triangular shaped and dominated the stamen far. The capsule fruit is oval.

For Sacoila lanceolata there watching for pollination by hummingbirds, other species have flowers that match this type of pollination.

Occurrence

Sacoila is widely distributed in tropical America. From Mexico and Florida in the north of the Caribbean and Central America to southern Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay different habitats are colonized. The species grow in grassland, scrub and savannah, and in various light forests. Some species are successful in disturbed places and overgrown fields, roadsides and gardens. They come right up to altitudes of 2200 meters.

Systematics and botanical history

Sacoila is classified within the tribe Cranichideae in the subtribe Spiranthinae. The genus was described in 1837 by Rafinesque. The name derives from the Greek σάκος saccos for " sack " and κοῖλος koilos, " hollow", and refers to the spur. Type species is Sacoila lanceolata.

The genus Sacoila is closely related to the genera Eltroplectris, Mesadenella and Pteroglossa. Due to external similarity, a relationship has been postulated to Stenorrhynchos.

The following species are included in genus Sacoila:

• Sacoila argentina ( Griseb. ) Garay (1980 )
• Sacoila duseniana ( Kraenzl. ) Garay (1980 )
• Sacoila foliosa ( Schltr. ) Garay (1980 )
• Sacoila hassleri ( Cogn. ) Garay (1980 )
• Sacoila lanceolata ( Aubl. ) Garay (1980 )
• Sacoila squamulosa ( Kunth ) Garay (1980 )