Rhyncholaelia
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Rhyncholaelia glauca |
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The genus Rhyncholaelia from the family of orchids (Orchidaceae) comprises only two epiphytic growing plant species , both of which occur in Central America. They are occasionally cultivated because of their beautiful flowers .
description
Both species of this genus form sprouts on a creeping rhizome at short intervals . These consist of several internodes , are thickened spindle-shaped and slightly oval in cross-section. The rhizome and shoot are surrounded by membranous, dry lower leaves. The roots grow down the branches and trunk of the host trees and reach a length of up to two meters. At the tip of the pseudobulbs there is a leaf . The leaves are oblong-oval, pointed at the end, firm and thick leathery. The shoot and leaves grow upright.
The inflorescence has only one, rarely two flowers. It appears from a large flower sheath at the top of the shoot. The resupinated flowers are white or light green in color, occasionally tinged with violet on the outside of the petals. They can reach a diameter of up to 18 centimeters. The sepals are narrow and a bit pointed at the end. The petals in Rhyncholaelia glauca are almost the same shape, in Rhyncholaelia digbyana they are wider and slightly fringed at the edge. The white lip is unlapped, at the base the sides are rolled up around the column . While the edge of the lip is smooth in Rhyncholaelia glauca , it has strong fringing in Rhyncholaelia digbyana . The column is short, straight and wingless. The stamen sits at the end of the column and contains eight pollinia .
Between the ovary and the attachment point of the petals there is an elongated "neck" (cuniculus). Here the flower forms a deep, narrow nectarium . This part of the flower also sticks to the fruit until it is ripe. The species are fragrant at night. The white color and the fragrance, which is only produced at night, are typical of flowers pollinated by nocturnal insects.
distribution
The species of the genus Rhyncholaelia occur in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. There they grow as epiphytes in dry forests.
Systematics
Within the subfamily Epidendroideae , the genus Rhyncholaelia is classified in the tribe Epidendreae and there in the subtribe Laeliinae . The sister taxon of Rhyncholaelia is Guarianthe . Other closely related genera are Brassavola , Cattleya and Cattleyella .
When Lindley first described the two species in 1839 ( Rhyncholaelia glauca ) and 1846 ( Rhyncholaelia digbyana ), he classified them in the genus Brassavola . In 1880 George Bentham placed them in the genus Laelia , the separate genus Rhyncholaelia was established by Rudolf Schlechter in 1918. The name is composed of the Greek name ρύγχος rhygchos for "beak" (because of the beak-shaped central lobe of the lip) and the similarity to the genus Laelia .
The following two species have been described in this genus:
- Rhyncholaelia digbyana (Lindl.) Schltr. : It occurs from southeast Mexico to Honduras.
- Rhyncholaelia glauca (Lindl.) Schltr. : It occurs from southern Mexico to Honduras.
Culture
Because of the large, fragrant flowers, the plants can be found in culture. The culture takes place in principle as with other tropical epiphytic orchids; these two species need a lot of light and a dry period of rest. Rhyncholaelia digbyana has been widely used as a cross partner to achieve plants with large flowers and a fringed lip.
supporting documents
- Carl L. Withner (1998): The Cattleyas and their relatives . Vol. 5, pp. 173ff. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, ISBN 0-88192-456-3
Individual evidence
- ^ Cássio van den Berg et al. (2000): A phylogenetic analysis of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) based on sequence data from internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Lindleyana 15 (2): 96-114. Online, accessed on December 14, 2007 ( Memento of the original from September 26, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-937872-16-7 (reprint from 1996).
- ↑ a b c Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Rhyncholaelia. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved April 10, 2020.
