Tropidia curculigoides Lindley
Family
Orchidaceae
Synonyms
None
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Serugat, ranchang hantu (Peninsular). |
| Vietnam | Tr[us]c kinh. |
Geographical Distributions
Tropidia curculigoides occurs in India, Indo-China, southern China, Taiwan, the Malaysian region (Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo), Java and northern Australia.
Description
Tropidia curculigoides is an erect, hairless herb that can grow up to 125 cm tall, with branched tufted rhizome as well as branched stems.
The leaves are arranged spirally, simple and entire, lance-shaped or ovate-lance-shaped, measuring 6.5-23 cm x 1-4 cm and longitudinally plaited.
The inflorescence is a terminal or lateral spike, short, measures up to 1.5 cm long, erect or nodding, bracteate and rather few-flowered.The flowers are bisexual, measure 0.5-1 cm long, 3-merous and greenish-white or yellowish- white. The sepals are lance-shaped with the lateral ones shortly connate and embracing the base of the lip. The petals are narrower, with ventricose lip, entire, top recurved, without spur and applied against the column. The column is 5-8 mm long, while anther is with two 2-partite pollinia and 2-dentate rostellum. The flowers of Tropidia curculigoides open in the evening.
The fruit is a cylindrical capsule and many-seeded. The seeds are very small.
Ecology / Cultivation
Tropidia curculigoides occurs in lowlands and lower montane, primary or old secondary forests up to 1600 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
1. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3.
