Aeridostachya (Hook.f.) Brieger

Abstract

Formerly included within the very large genus Eria, Aeridostachya was split off in 1981 and raised to generic status. The 20 species in the genus are widely distributed in Malesia with 1 species also found in Thailand, southern Taiwan and the southwestern Pacific Islands. Plants are epiphytic or terrestrial and pseudobulbs well-spaced or crowded, densely covered by cataphylls. Leaves are erect, conduplicate, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous. Inflorescence arises from upper nodes of the stem, arching, densely many flowered on a bottle-brush raceme. Flowers are small, cream, yellow, brown, brownish red or purplish. Petals are smaller than the sepals and lip is three-lobed (Chen et al. 2009) (Fig. 7.1).