Thelasis
A genus of about 20 species occurring in India, South-east Asia, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Polynesia, New Guinea and Australia where there is a single non-endemic species, Thelasis carinata, in northeastern Queensland and Thelasis capitata on Christmas Island (extending to Indonesia). State occurrence: Queensland, Western Australia (Christmas Island).
Clumping epiphytes, lithophytes, rarely terrestrials, with thin roots. Plants can have small pseudobulbs with 1-3 terminal leaves or flattened stems with several leaves in 2 ranks. The leaves have a laterally flattened sheath and a flat or channelled blade. Thin erect to arching spikes or racemes, which arise from leaf axils or the base of the pseudobulbs, have numerous tiny white, cream, greenish, yellowish or brownish semi-tubular flowers, the lower parts of the segments overlapping with the tips usually spreading. The labellum, which is unlobed, is attached to the base of the column. The column is short, without a column foot.
Clumping epiphytes, lithophytes, rarely terrestrials, with thin roots. Plants can have small pseudobulbs with 1-3 terminal leaves or flattened stems with several leaves in 2 ranks. The leaves have a laterally flattened sheath and a flat or channelled blade. Thin erect to arching spikes or racemes, which arise from leaf axils or the base of the pseudobulbs, have numerous tiny white, cream, greenish, yellowish or brownish semi-tubular flowers, the lower parts of the segments overlapping with the tips usually spreading. The labellum, which is unlobed, is attached to the base of the column. The column is short, without a column foot.
DESCRIPTION (FROM FLORA OF CHINA)Herbs, epiphytic, rather small. Stems either pseudobulbous, 1- or 2-leaved, with sheaths and sometimes additional smaller leaves at base, or short and not thickened with several leaves in 2 close opposite ranks, laterally compressed and overlapping at base. Leaves narrow, rather thin, sometimes articulate at base. Inflorescence lateral, scape arising from base of pseudobulb or node of short stem, usually slender, many flowered. Flowers resupinate, greenish yellow or white, very small, not opening widely. Sepals similar, sometimes connivent; lateral sepals concave, often carinate abaxially. Petals slightly smaller than sepals; lip sessile on base of column, entire, usually broadest and concave at base, narrowed at apex. Column short, without a foot; anther erect; pollinia 8, in 2 groups of 4, waxy, on a slender caudicle attached to a nearly narrowly elliptic viscidium; rostellum terminal, erect, 2-lobed, acuminate; stigma large
---FOC Vol. 25 Page 8, 16, 365 |