Biology:Bulbophyllum medusae
| Bulbophyllum medusae | |
|---|---|
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| Bulbophyllum medusae growing on Ko Pha-ngan, Thailand | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Subtribe: | Dendrobiinae |
| Genus: | Bulbophyllum |
| Section: | Bulbophyllum sect. Desmosanthes |
| Species: | B. medusae
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| Binomial name | |
| Bulbophyllum medusae (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Bulbophyllum medusae is an epiphytic orchid native to lowland and hill forests of Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.[1][2] It is distinguished by its rounded inflorescences bearing many small flowers with long, filamentous lateral sepals that radiate outward in loose strands.[3][4]
The species was first described as Cirrhopetalum medusae by John Lindley in 1842,[5] and transferred to Bulbophyllum by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1861.[1]
Distribution and habitat
B. medusae is recorded from Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.[1][2] Herbarium and field records place it in lowland and hill forests, where it grows as an epiphyte on living trees in humid, shaded conditions.[3][4]
_Rchb.f.,_W.G.Walpers,_Ann._Bot._Syst._6_262_(1861)_(31308702537).jpg)
Plants are most often recorded on mid-trunk or primary branches where bark remains moist but well-drained.[4]
Description
Bulbophyllum medusae forms a creeping mat of small, rounded pseudobulbs spaced along a slender rhizome. Each pseudobulb carries a single leathery leaf up to about 20 cm long.[3]
The inflorescence arises from the base of the pseudobulb and develops into a rounded umbel of many short-stalked flowers.[4] The lateral sepals are fused at the base before dividing into long, filamentous segments that hang freely around the floral head.[4] The dorsal sepal and petals are smaller, and the labellum is short, mobile, and hinged at the base, a characteristic of the genus.[3]
Cultivated plants show variable scent, ranging from faint earthy notes to no detectable fragrance.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Bulbophyllum medusae (Lindl.) Rchb.f." (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/619477-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bulbophyllum medusae". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. https://www.gbif.org/species/5327435.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Seidenfaden, Gunnar (1975). Orchids of Thailand: A Field Guide. Royal Thai Forestry Department.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Vermeulen, Jaap J. (1991). Bulbophyllum of Borneo. Natural History Publications (Borneo).
- ↑ Lindley, John (1842). "Cirrhopetalum medusae". Edwards's Botanical Register 28: 12. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/29386#page/57/mode/1up. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ↑ "Bulbophyllum: Culture and Care". American Orchid Society. https://www.aos.org/.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q1610215 entry
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