Acriopsis javanica

Description

Acriopsis javanica is an epiphyte with pseudobulbs 13–60 mm long and 10–30 mm wide. Each pseudobulb has three or four linear leaves 50–320 mm long and 3–20 mm wide on a petiole 1.5–25 mm long. From 12 to 300 white and cream-coloured flowers with purple markings are borne on each flowering stem, the stems 160–1150 mm long. The flowers are 8–14 mm wide, 2–40 mm apart on a pedicel 3–6.4 mm long and have a three-lobed labellum. The dorsal sepal is 4.7–7.2 mm long, 1–2.8 mm wide and the lateral sepals are fused to form a synsepalum 4.5–7.2 mm long and 1.4–3.2 mm wide below the labellum. The petals are oblong to egg-shaped, 4.3–6.8 mm long and 1.3–3 mm wide. The labellum is 4.5 mm long, about 4 mm wide and has three lobes.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Acriopsis was first formally described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume from an unpublished description by Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt and Blume's description was published in his book Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie. In the same volume, Blume described Acriopsis javanica.

Plants of the World Online considers A. javanica to be a synonym of A. liliifolia var. liliifolia.

Distribution and habitat

Acriopsis javanica mainly grows in rainforest and coastal swamp forest, sometimes on Melaleuca leucadendron and Pandanus species. It is found from Vietnam to New Guinea, including Singapore, Indonesia and som Pacific Islands and on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, as far south as the Daintree River.

References

References

1. "''Acriopsis javanica''". Australian Plant Census.
2. (1986). "A Taxonomic Revision of the genus ''Acriopsis'' Reinwardt ex Blume (Acriopsidinae, Orchidaceae)". Orchid Monographs.
3. "''Acriopsis''". APNI.
4. (1825). "Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie (Volume 8)". Ter Lands Drukkerij.
5. "''Acriopsis javanica''". APNI.
6. (1989). "Catalogue of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research.
7. "''Acriopsis javanica''". Plants of the World Online.