Volume 2 > Part 2 > Year 1972 > Page 135 > Apostasiaceae > Apostasia

2. Apostasia wallichii R.Br.wfo-0000250068

Wall., Pl. As Rar. 1: 75. 1830; Hook.f., Fl. Br. Ind. 6: 175. 1890; Pfitz. in Pflanzenr. 12: 7. 1903; Ridl., Fl.Mal. Pen.4: 297. 1924; Gagnep. in Fl. Gén. I.-C. 6: 651. 1934; Holtt., Rev. Fl. Malaya 1: 64. 1953; de Vogel, Blumea 7: 338. f. 10. 1969.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Herb, 10–100 cm. Scales 2–10 mm long, 5–15-nerved. Leaves linear, 10–50 by 0.3–1.8(–2) cm, acute (filiform tip up to 2 cm); entire or minutely dentate and glandular (hand lens); with 15–60 nerves, 3 or 5 of which are more prominent; sheath not marked. Racemes pendent, sometimes±erect, with 1–6 side branches; 5–25(–30) flowers along each branch. Bracts triangular to lanceolate, acute, usually lower ones with a filiform tip up to 0.5(–0.9) mm, margin as that of the leaves, 2–15(–24) mm long, (1–)3–7(–10)-nerved. Flowers 1–2.2(–2.7) cm long, yellow, rarely whitish. Sepals 4–6.5 by 0.6–1.7 mm, 3–5(–7)-nerved, cusp 0.4–1.2(–1.7) by 0.1–0.25 mm. Petals 3.7–6 by 0.5–1.5 mm, (1–)3(–5)-nerved, cusp 0.2–0.8(–1.2) by 0.1 mm, median one sometimes broader and more convex. Column straight to strongly curved, 0.7–1.5(–1.8) by 0.2–0.6(–0.7) mm. Stamens (2–)3–4(–5) by 0.6–1 mm; free parts of filaments 0.5–1 by 0.2–0.25 mm; anthers with an unequally bilobed to (oblique) entire tip; the longer anther cell opposite the staminode 0.1–0.4(–1) mm longer at base and up to 0.5 mm longer at apex; the shorter anther cell free from the longer one by 0–0.3 mm at tip. Staminode 1.3–3(–4) by 0.2–0.6 mm; entirely adnate or with an obtuse tip up to 1 mm free. Ovary 10–22 by 1–2 mm. Free part of style straight, occasionally curved, 2.5–4.8 by 0.2–0.5 mm, sometimes irregularly longitudinally ribbed. Stigma 2–3 lobed, sometimes suborbicular. Fruit 12–25 by 1.4–2 mm. Seeds alveolate to nearly smooth.

Thailand : Not common but probably scattered all over the country, especially the Peninsula.

Distribution : Ceylon, Nepal (type), Assam, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, throughout Indonesia to N Australia (Queensland).

Ecology : Evergreen forests, up to 1,500 m alt.

E-version notes : The genus is now placed in the family Orchidaceae.