Home > Orchids of Kerala > Schoenorchis

Schoenorchis

Schoenorchis Reinwardt

An Indo-Malesian genus of about 24 species of epiphytic orchids, Schoenorchis is represented in India by six species .Three species are known from Kerala .
1. Schoenorchis jerdoniana (Wight)Garay, Bot. Mus. Leaf. Harv. Univ. 23(4): 202. 1972; Seidenfaden in Matthew 1983:161.

Taeniophyllum jerdonianum Wight, Ic. Pl. Ind. Or. 5(1)22. t. 1756. 1851.

Sacclabium jerdonianum(Wight) Rchb.f. , Walp Ann. 6 : 886 . 1864 ; J.D. Hook . 1890 : 59 ; Fischer in Gamble 1928 : 1446.

Wight described this species based on Jerdon's collection from Malabar . While placing it under Taeniophyllum Wight himself doubted its correctness and wished more materials for study .

Occurrence ; Palghat District .

Distribution : Regional Endemic (Kerala (type), Tamil Nadu).

2. Schoenorchis manilaliana Muktesh & Stephen , Kew Bull . 55 : 241. 2000.

This is doubtfully a new species , most likely it may turn out to be synoym of the following species . As we haven't studied the type we leave it for the time being .

Occurrence : Palghat District.

Distribution : Local Endemic ? (see cautionery note above)

3. Schoenorchis nivea (Lindl.) Schltr., Fedde Repert. Beih . 1 : 986 . 1913; Jayaweera in Dassanayake & Fosberg 1981 : 245 ; Gopalan & Henry 1989: 258.

Saccolabium niveum Lindl . , Gen. Sp. Orch. 224. 1833.

Originally described from Sri Lanka , this species has beeb infrequently collected but most often misidenrified as Schoenorchis jerdoniana which has linear petals in contrast to the oblong petals of Schoenorchis nivea .

Occurrence : Trivandrum and Idukki Districts .

Distribution : Southern India (Kerala , Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (type).


<<Satyrium|| Orchids of Kerala ||Seidenadeniella>>