Sauroglossum
Sauroglossum nitidum
Sauroglossum is a genus of the orchid family ( Orchidaceae). It contains eleven species, which are common in South America.
Description
The Sauroglossum species are relatively large, herbaceous plants that grow terrestrially. The roots stand together in bunches, they are hairy and thickened cylindrical to spindle-shaped. The leaves are present at flowering time or do not appear until later. They are in a basal rosette. The leaf base cuneate runs out into a stalk. The leaf blade is ovate to reverse- egg-shaped, it ends pointed. The leaf margin may be slightly translucent.
The upright sprout continues above the leaves as peduncle gone, he is surrounded by bracts. In the lower area, he is bald, more hairy with glandular above. The racemose inflorescence is many flowered, loosely to densely covered with small to medium sized flowers. They usually are not einseitswendig. The ovary is curved, more or less cylindrical, stalked very short, slightly twisted. The flowers form a tube, they are yellow to reddish, with some species also greenish white. The sepals are each about the same shape, rather fleshy, not fused together. On the outside they are hairy with glandular. The dorsal sepal is erect and concave. The lateral sepals run down on the column with which they form a short, round chin. The petals are adherent of thinner texture, the dorsal sepal. The lip is sitting, quite fleshy, the basal part oblong- rinnig, the front part is conchoidal. Located at the base of the lip on the edge or slightly inwards elongated, fleshy swellings ( nectaries ). The column is slender and elongated, they are short enough, but well above the joint with the ovary out ( pedestal ). The scar consists of two surfaces, the side of the Rostellums, they are separated by a center pillar extending along the fold. The stamen is oval with a rounded elevation. It contains the clavate pollinia, which on a small, round viscid disc ( Viscidium ) depend. The separation between scar tissue and stamen ( rostellum ) is thin, short, broadly triangular, at the top with a pit ( fovea ) in a thin tissue that surrounds the stamen ( Klinandrium ), temporarily. The capsule fruit is oval.
Dissemination
Sauroglossum comes in South America in two separate areas. One extends along the Andes from Colombia to Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru to Chile and Argentina. The other is located in southeastern Brazil. Some types come right up to altitudes of 3700 meters. They grow in dense forests or loosened, in bushes, in grassland and on rocky slopes.
Systematics and botanical history
Sauroglossum is classified within the tribe Cranichideae in the subtribe Spiranthinae. The genus was described in 1833 by Lindley. The name comes from the Greek words σαῦρος sauros, " lizard", and γλῶσσα glossa, "tongue", together. Lindley compared the leaves with the tongue of " antediluvian dinosaur " and the petals with the tongue lizards today.
The genus Sauroglossum resembles externally the genera Brachystele, Thelyschista and Odontorrhynchus. The flowers are similar to those of some species of the genus Pelexia; also studies of DNA showed a relationship to Pelexia.
The following species are included in genus Sauroglossum:
- Sauroglossum andinum ( Hauman ) Garay
- Sauroglossum aurantiacum ( C.Schweinf. ) Garay
- Sauroglossum corymbosum ( Lindl. ) Garay
- Sauroglossum distans Lindl. ex Garay
- Sauroglossum dromadum Szlach.
- Sauroglossum longiflorum ( Schltr. ) Garay
- Sauroglossum nitidum ( Vell. ) Schltr.
- Sauroglossum odoratum Robatsch
- Sauroglossum organense Szlach.
- Sauroglossum schweinfurthianum Garay
- Sauroglossum sellilabre ( Griseb. ) Schltr.