Phyllorkis Thouars.

Herbs, epiphytic. Rhizome usually rather long, creeping or hanging, usually bearing a series of pseudobulbs, very rarely without pseudobulbs. Pseudobulbs well spaced to clustered on rhizome, each with a single joint. Leaves 1 or rarely 2 or 3, arising from apex of pseudobulbs or very rarely directly from rhizome; leaf blade usually leathery, varying in size. Scape arising laterally from base of a pseudobulb or from a node of rhizome; inflorescence usually racemose or umbellate, 1- to many flowered; floral bracts often small. Flowers small to large. Sepals subequal in size or lateral sepals much longer than dorsal one; lateral sepals free or ± connate on lower or upper edges, base adnate to column foot forming a short mentum. Petals free, usually smaller than sepals; lip often hinged to end of column foot, mobile or sometimes immobile, usually fleshy and recurved. Column short, winged, base with a distinct foot; wings often dilated to form teeth or stelidia; anther 2-locular, sometimes 1-locular; pollinia 4, in 2 pairs, waxy, without appendages, sometimes attached to sticky substance.

Bulbophyllum formosanum (Rolfe) K. Nakajima (Biol. Mag. Okinawa 10: 36. 1973; Cirrhopetalum formosanum Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1914: 372. 1914), described from Taiwan, is a doubtful species. The original description by Rolfe is quite different from that by Seidenfaden (Dansk Bot. Ark. 29(1): 172, fig. 85. 1974), who published the combination B. formosanum a year later than Nakajima. An examination of the specimen Seidenfaden cited as type (Price 1043, K), which lacks flowers, indicated that its vegetative characteristics are identical with Seidenfaden’s figure rather than with Rolfe’s description, which seems to refer to another species. Further study is needed.

Also see LI Lin, YE Deping & XING Fuwu. 2009. Additions to the genus Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) from China. Bull. Bot. Res. 29(3): 260-263 which was published after the Flora of China treatment.

After publication of the treatment for the Flora of China, one species was newly recorded from China (see JIN Xiao-Hua et al. 2010. Acta Bot. Yunnan. 32: 331-333, i.e., Bulbophyllum gyrochilum Seidenf.).

About 1,900 species: largely in tropical areas of both Old and New Worlds; 103 species (33 endemic) in 18 sections in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Jaap J. Vermeulen)