Ponerorchis Rchb. f.
小蝶蘭屬
SU, Horng-Jye and CHEN, Jr-Jen
Terrestrial perennial herbs with underground tuberoids. Roots slender, glabrous. Tuberoids ovoid or globular, fleshy. Stem erect, slender, with 1-3 sheath at base. Leaves 1-5, soft herbaceous, cauline or sometimes nearly radical, alternate, linear or lanceolate, entire, base decurrent into sheath and embracing stem. Inflorescences terminal, with few to several racemose or spicate flowers arranging spirally or sometimes secundly; bracts small, chartaceous, usually lanceolate, entire; ovary shortly pedicellate or nearly sessile, twisted, elongate fusiform. Flowers resupinate; sepals free, subequal, spreading, oblong or ovate, with 1-3 nerves, lateral ones often more or less oblique; petals similar to sepals, often oblique, entire or ciliate, connivent with dorsal sepal forming hood; lip rather large, spurred, 3-lobed, central lobe larger, shallowly bifid or entire; column stout, with 2 conspicuous staminodes (auricles) at base outside anther tubes; anther erect, with base 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 to viscidium; viscidia ellipsoid or ovoid, partly enclosed in two separated bursicles formed by folding of ends of rostellar arms, with basal surface exposed; stigma single, concave, with 3 confluent surfaces under rostellum; rostellum rather small, horseshoe-shaped, slightly protruding, with 2 lateral arms strongly folded between base of anther tubes. Capsules fusiform.
About 20 species, mainly in eastern Asia, including the Himalaya, China, and Japan. Four species in Taiwan.
