Epipogium

Gastrodieae subtribe Epipogiinae

Fleshy saprophytes arising from a subterranean tuber. Roots absent, the ridges of the tuber with root hairs. Stems succulent, ephemeral, from emergence to seed dispersal taking place in a few days. Inflorescences densely-flowered scapose racemes, often nodding at the apex. Sepals and petals subsimilar, free. Lip sessile, unlobed, with glandular keels or calli at the base, with a short spur. Column short, the anther larger than the column; pollinia two, resting on the horizontal stigma.

From the Greek epi, meaning upon, and pogon, meaning beard, referring to the turned up lip which fancifully resembles a beard.

A genus of two species in the old world from Europe, Africa, and Asia to Australia and New Caledonia.

Barretto, G. d’A. 1988. Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl.: a new record for Hong Kong. Hong Kong Nat. Hist. Soc. Mem. 18:47-50.

Docters van Leeuwen, W. M. 1937. The biology of Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl. Blumea, Suppl. I:57-65.

Hegde, S. N. and A. N. Rao 1982(1983). Epipogium sessanum Hedge et Rao, a new species of orchid from Arunachal Pradesh, India. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 3(2):597-601.

Jones, D. L. 1985. The self-pollination of Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl. Orchadian 8(4):91-92.

Rao, A. N. 1987. A note on the sectional delineation in the genus Epipogium R. Br. (Orchidaceae). Indian Orchid J. 2(1):13-18.

Vermeulen, P. 1965. The place of Epipogium in the system of Orchidales. Acta Bot. Neerl. 14:230-241.