Apostasia
FROM WIKIPEDIA
Apostasia is a genus of primitive orchids (family Orchidaceae), comprising 7 terrestrial species.
The genus is distributed in humid areas of the Himalayan region, India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, and North Australia. The species of Apostasia produce an erect inflorescence with up to six lateral branches, arising from the main, elongated root. Their warty tubercles are swollen and stalked. They lack velamen. They bear up to 30 white or yellow flowers. The flowers of Apostasia species are non-resupinate (i. e. not turned upside down), as in the other orchids. Because of that primitive feature, some authority did not consider Apostasia as real orchids. Nevertheless the difference between these genera and outgroups in cladistic analysis is larger than with the rest of the orchids. They are therefore included within the orchid family. |
FROM FLORA OF CHINAHerbs, erect, glabrous. Rhizome scaly, producing a few proplike roots; roots sometimes bearing tubers. Stem simple or branched, rather slender, leafy. Leaves clustered or well spaced, plicate, usually recurved along margins, forming a tubular awn at apex, base contracted and then dilating and amplexicaul. Inflorescences terminal or subterminal, often arching or sometimes pendulous, usually branched; floral bracts relatively small. Flowers erect, not resupinate, almost actinomorphic; ovary 3-locular, slender, not distinct from pedicel. Sepals similar, cymbiform, slightly fleshy. Petals similar, yellow to white, cymbiform; lip similar to petals though sometimes slightly larger. Column erect or curved, with 2 fertile stamens, with or without a central staminode; anthers clasping style, with 2 locules of subequal to distinctly unequal length; filaments usually short, adnate to style; staminode (if present) opposite to dorsal sepal; pollen not cohering to form pollinia; style cylindric; stigma terminal, capitate. Fruit a capsule, narrowly cylindric, shallowly longitudinally 3-ribbed. Seeds black at maturity, with a rigid testa.
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