Amitostigma Schltr.
雛蘭屬
SU Horng-Jye and CHEN Jr-Jen
Terrestrial perennial herbs. Roots slender, glabrous. Tuberoids subterranean, ovoid or globose, fleshy. Stem erect, slender, with 1 or 2 sheaths at base. Leaves 1-4, cauline or radical, alternate, linear or lanceolate, entire, base decurrent into sheath and embracing stem. Inflorescences terminal, racemose or spicate; bracts chartaceous, usually lanceolate, entire; ovary pedicellate or nearly sessile, twisted, fusiform. Flowers few to many, resupinate, sometimes secund; sepals free, subequal, spreading, oblong or ovate, lateral ones often more or less oblique; petals similar to sepals, often oblique, connivent with dorsal sepal forming hood; lip larger than sepals and petals, spurred, 3-lobed, terminal lobe often more or less bifid; column short, with 2 conspicuous staminodes (auricles) at base outside anther tubes; anther erect, firmly adnate to ventral side of column, 2-loculed, locules clavate-tubular, close, parallel or slightly converging below; pollinia 2, sectile, each connected through slender caudicle at base to viscidium, viscidia ellipsoid or ovoid, completely enclosed in two separated bursicles formed by folding of ends of rostellar arms; stigma single, with 3 confluent surfaces or sometimes lateral surfaces more or less protruding and appearing transversely bilobed; rostellum strongly folded, horseshoe-shaped, slightly protruding, with 2 lateral arms lying between base of anther tubes. Capsules nearly erect.
About 23 species, mainly distributing from Himalaya, through China to Japan. Two species in Taiwan.
