Arundina
Arundina graminifolia | |
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Arundina graminifolia in Kerala | |
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Genus: | Arundina |
Species: | A. graminifolia
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Binomial name | |
Arundina graminifolia | |
Type species | |
Arundina speciosa[2] (synonym of A. graminifolia) Blume
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Synonyms[3][4] | |
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Arundina graminifolia is a species of orchid and the sole accepted species of the genus Arundina. This tropical Asiatic genus extends from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, the Ryukyu Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, China to Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea. It has become naturalized in Réunion, Fiji, French Polynesia, Micronesia, the West Indies, Costa Rica, Panama and Hawaii.[3][5] It is also called bamboo orchid.[6]
Description
Arundina graminifolia is a terrestrial, perennial orchid with reedy stems, forming into large clumps growing to a height between 70 cm and 2 m.
The plaited linear leaves are oblong lanceolate, with a length of 9 to 19 cm and a width of 0.8 to 1.5 cm. The apex is acuminate. There are amplexicaul (clasping the stem) sheathing stipules.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Bamboo_Orchid.jpg/200px-Bamboo_Orchid.jpg)
This orchid blooms in summer and autumn, showing rather open clusters of showy terminal flowers, ten at the most. They bloom in succession on the terminal racemes, which are 7 to 16 cm long. These flowers, 5 – 8 cm in diameter, are a rosy lilac and white disk with a purple lip. The bracts are wide triangular and surround the main stalk of the flower cluster. The occasional fertilized seed pods contain minute powdery seeds, and small plants often develop near the cane ends after flowering, and likely aid in propagation if allowed to reach the soil.
With only 200 of the plant to be recorded growing naturally in Singapore, the species is close to extinction there, largely caused by the destruction of its natural habitat, namely the rainforests and mangrove forests. The remaining plants, commonly called Tapah weeds, can be found in the secondary forests or at the forest fringes. It is however very common in road cuts and other disturbed areas in full sun in Sarawak, East Malaysia, where it often is the most common flowering plant to be seen along the roadsides.
Varieties
Two varieties are currently recognized (May 2014):[3]
- Arundina graminifolia var. graminifolia
- Arundina graminifolia var. revoluta (Hook.f.) A.L.Lamb in C.L.Chan. & al. - from Assam and Sri Lanka east to Vietnam and south to Java
Gallery
References
- ^ Blume, Carl (Karl) Ludwig von. 1825. Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië 8: 401
- ^ lectotype designated by Garay et Sweet, Orchids S. Ryukyu Islands 52. 1974
- ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Arundina graminifolia
- ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Arundina graminifolia subsp. graminifolia
- ^ US Department of Agriculture Plants profile
- ^ See e.g. Das, S & Duttachoudhury, Manabendra & Mazumder, Pranab. (2013). In vitro propagation of Arundina graminifolia D. Don. Hochr - A bamboo orchid. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 6. 156-158.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Arundina graminifolia.
- Dave's Garden, Bamboo Orchid, Bird Orchid, Grass-Like Leaf Arundina, Arundina graminifolia
- Orchid Care Tips Arundina graminifolia
- IOSPE orchid photos Arundina graminifolia
- Neotropical Savannah (in Panama), Bamboo Orchid, Arundina graminifolia
- Gardino Nursery (Del Ray Beach Florida USA), Rare and Unusual Plants, bamboo orchid, Arundina graminifolia
- Monotypic Epidendroideae genera
- Arethuseae genera
- Orchids of Asia
- Orchids of Malaya
- Orchids of Indonesia
- Orchids of Malaysia
- Orchids of China
- Orchids of India
- Orchids of New Guinea
- Orchids of Thailand
- Orchids of Vietnam
- Orchids of Bangladesh
- Orchids of the Philippines
- Orchids of Singapore
- Orchids of Nepal
- Flora of the Ryukyu Islands