Arundina graminifolia

Arundina graminifolia (D.Don) Hochr.

Arundina graminifolia (D.Don) Hochr.; All photos © L. Averyanov

1910, Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 6: 270; Seidenf., 1992, Opera Bot. 114: 77: P. H. Ho, 1993, 111. FI. Vietnam 3, 2: 9S6, f. 9897; Aver., 1994, Ident. Guide Vietnam. Orch.: 89: Thin, 1997, Sida 17, 4: 756; Aver. & Averyanova, 2003, Updated Checkl. Orch. Vietnam: 12: Soejarto et al., 2004, Seed plants CPNP: 445.

Synonyms.

Bletia grarninifolia D. Don, 1825, Prodr. FI. Nepal.: 29.

Arundina speciosa Blume, 1825, Bijdr.: 401, Pi. 73; Gagnep., 1933, in Lecomte, FI. Gen. Indochine 6: 370.

Arundina bambusifolia Lindl., 1831, Gen. in Sp. Orchid. PL: 125; Gagnep., 1933, in Lecomte, FI. Gen. Indochine 6: 371. 

Arundina stenopetala Gagnep., 1932, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 79: 32: Gagnep., 1933, in Lecomte, FI. Gen. Indochine 6: 372. 

Donacopsis laotica Gagnep., 1932, Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. 2, 4: 593: Gagnep., 1933, in Lecomte, Fl. Gen. Indochine 6: 410, p.p.

Studied collections.

23 July1 971, Diep and Khoi761, CPXP5141.

Description. 

Robust terrestrial herb of open secondary grasslands. Stem thin, rigid, sometime woody, erect, to 2 m tall, with many grass-like leaves and terminal, often branching inflorescence of 1—5 odorless widely opening flowers, 4—7 cm across. Sepals and petals white, sometime with pink- purple tint, 3—5 cm long, narrowly ovate to ovate, petals usually much wider. Lip trumpet-shaped, 3--5 cm long, embracing the column, indistinctly 3-lobed with deeply cleft apex, pink-purple, sometimes yellow at the center. Column slender, without column foot. Fruit cylindric capsule, 3—6 by 1.5—2 cm.

Flowering time. 

April-October.

Geographic range. Bhutan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Hainan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malacca Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Polynesia.

Notes. 

One of the most common, widespread species in Vietnam. Typical element of secondary open plant communities, often observed along grassy road cuts and on hill slopes with rocky degraded soils. Ornamental and frequently cultivated.

References:

Leonid V. Averyanov, Nguyen Tien Hiep, Phan Ke Loc, The orchids Of Cuc Phuong National Park Illustrated guide, ISBN: 9781626751514