e-Key v3 - Pterygodium
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Orchidaceae - Orchidoideae - Orchideae - Pterygodium Sw.

Description :

  • Terrestrial herbs, slender to robust, with small root tubers
  • Leaves cauline, few, elliptic to lanceolate
  • Inflorescence a lax raceme, sometimes fairly dense; flowers resupinate or rarely not resupinate, yellow, green or white; bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate
  • Sepals free, spreading; median one concave and adnate to petals, forming a shallow hood; laterals spreading or reflexed
  • Lip basally fused to gynostemium, entire, 2- or 3-lobed; bearing variously shaped tall appendage near its base
  • Gynostemium short, dilated, structure very complicated; anther with 2 thecae which are separated by wide connective, erect or reflexed, anther canals absent or very short; pollinia 2, sectile, with separate viscidia at extremities of horizontal arms
  • Capsule cylindrical or obovoid, ribbed

Nomenclature:

  • Pterygodium Sw.
    • Swartz: 217 (1800)
    • Rolfe: 271 (1913)
    • Phillips: 237 (1951)
    • Schelpe: 102 (1966)
    • Stewart et al.: 183 (1982)
    • Kurzweil et al.: 215 (1991)
    • Linder & Kurzweil: 327 (1999)
  • Ommatodium Lindl.
    • Lindley: 365 (1838)
    • Rolfe: 270 (1913)
    • Phillips: 237 (1951)
  • Anochilus (Schltr.) Rolfe in part
    • Rolfe: 280 (1913)
    • Phillips: 238 (1951)
    • Schelpe: 104 (1966)
    • Stewart et al.: 189 (1982)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 18, widespread in southern Africa,1 species only known from Tanzania
  • Southern Africa : Mainly in Western Cape and Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal)

References:

  • KURZWEIL, H., LINDER, H.P., & CHESSELET, P. 1991. The phylogeny and evolution of the Pterygodium - Corycium complex ( Coryciinae , Orchidaceae ). Plant Systematics and Evolution 175
  • LINDER, H.P. & KURZWEIL, H. 1999. Orchids of southern Africa . A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam
  • LINDLEY, J. 1830-1840. The genera and species of Orchidaceous plants . Ridgways, London
  • PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. The genera of South African flowering plants. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 25
  • ROLFE, R.A. 1913. Order CXXXI. Orchideae . Flora capensis 5,3
  • SCHELPE, E.A. 1966. An introduction to the South African Orchids . Purnell & Sons, Cape Town, Johannesburg
  • STEWART, J., LINDER, H.P., SCHELPE, E.A. & HALL, A.V. 1982. Wild orchids of southern Africa . Macmillan, Johannesburg
  • SWARTZ, O. 1800. Orchidernes slagter och acter upstallde. Kongliga vetenskaps academiens nya handlingar 21

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