Bulbophyllum
Encyclopedia
Bulbophyllum is the largest genus in the orchid family Orchidaceae
. With more than 2,000 species, it is also one of the largest genera of flowering plants, exceeded only by Astragalus
. This genus is abbreviated in the trade journals as Bulb.
(botanical abbreviation Thouars) in his book "Histoire particulière des plantes orchidées recueillies sur les trois Iles Australes d’Afrique, de France, de Bourbon et de Madagascar", describing 17 Bulbophyllum species. There are now more than 2,800 records (accepted names and synonyms) for this genus. This large number and the great variety of its forms make the genus a considerable challenge for the taxonomist: 120 sections and subgenera have been listed. Some of these may deserve a generic status. Several species have as many as ten synonyms. Up to now a general review of this genus is lacking. But as Carlyle A. Luer
of Missouri Botanical Garden
disentangled the similar chaos in the Pleurothallidinae
, so we may expect that a phylogenetic study will gain us a better insight in this large genus.
The scientific name has been derived from the Latin word bulbus (bulb-like) and the Greek word phyllon (leaf), referring to the pseudobulb
s on top of which the leaf is growing.
The center of diversity of this genus is in the montage forests of Papua New Guinea
(more than 600 species) which seems to be the evolution
ary homeland, though the genus is pantropical and widespread, occurring in Australia
, Southeast Asia
(with over 200 species in Borneo
), India
, Madagascar
(with 135 species, some endemic), Africa
and in tropical central and South America
.
The general characteristics for this genus are : single-noded pseudobulbs, the basal inflorescence and the mobile lip.
This genus covers an incredible range of vegetative forms, from tall plants with cane-like stems, to root climbers that wind or creep their way up tree trunks. Other members are pendulous epiphyte
s (growing on other plants), and quite a number that have developed succulent foliage to a greater or lesser degree. Some species are lithophytic
. One species has almost become leafless and uses its pseudobulb
s as the organs of photosynthesis
.
These orchids with a sympodial
growth have rhizomatous
stems with often angled pseudobulb
s. The thin to leathery leaves are folded lengthwise.
Many Bulbophyllum species have the typical odor of rotting
carcasses
, and the flies
they attract assist in their reproduction through pollination
.
The erect to pendent inflorescence
arises laterally from the base of the pseudobulb. The flower form has a basic structural blueprint that serves to identify this genus. But this form can be very diverse : compound or single, with few to many flowers, with the resupinate
flowers arranged spirally or in two vertical ranks. The sepal
s and the petal
s can also be very varied : straight or turned down, without footstalk or with a long claw at the base. They are often hairy or callous. There are two to four hard and waxy pollinia with stipes
present or absent. The fruits are beakless capsules.
Some species are known for their extremes of vegetive and floral form:
New species are being discovered every year, such as
Bulbophyllum nocturnum
, a species first described in November 2011, is the only orchid known to flower at night.
There is one intergeneric hybrid : Triasphyllum (abbr.: Tphm.) (Bulbophyllum x Trias)
, and are recognised as such by the World Conservation Union
(IUCN):
Additionally, Bulbophyllum porphyrostachys
is listed
as near threatened
.
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
. With more than 2,000 species, it is also one of the largest genera of flowering plants, exceeded only by Astragalus
Astragalus
Astragalus is a large genus of about 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
. This genus is abbreviated in the trade journals as Bulb.
Description
This genus was first described by Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-ThouarsLouis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars
Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars was an eminent French botanist.-Introduction:He was from an aristocrat family of the region of Anjou, where he grew up in the castle of Boumois, near Saumur...
(botanical abbreviation Thouars) in his book "Histoire particulière des plantes orchidées recueillies sur les trois Iles Australes d’Afrique, de France, de Bourbon et de Madagascar", describing 17 Bulbophyllum species. There are now more than 2,800 records (accepted names and synonyms) for this genus. This large number and the great variety of its forms make the genus a considerable challenge for the taxonomist: 120 sections and subgenera have been listed. Some of these may deserve a generic status. Several species have as many as ten synonyms. Up to now a general review of this genus is lacking. But as Carlyle A. Luer
Carlyle A. Luer
Carlyle A. Luer is a botanist specializing in the Orchidaceae. His specialty interest is the Pleurothalidinae and allied species.-References:...
of Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...
disentangled the similar chaos in the Pleurothallidinae
Pleurothallidinae
The Pleurothallidinae are a neotropical subtribe of plants of the orchid family including 29 genera in more than 4000 species.Naturally occurring species of this subtribe are among the more popular orchids of horticulturalists, especially the genera Dracula, Dryadella, Masdevallia and...
, so we may expect that a phylogenetic study will gain us a better insight in this large genus.
The scientific name has been derived from the Latin word bulbus (bulb-like) and the Greek word phyllon (leaf), referring to the pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s on top of which the leaf is growing.
The center of diversity of this genus is in the montage forests of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
(more than 600 species) which seems to be the evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary homeland, though the genus is pantropical and widespread, occurring in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
(with over 200 species in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
(with 135 species, some endemic), Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and in tropical central and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The general characteristics for this genus are : single-noded pseudobulbs, the basal inflorescence and the mobile lip.
This genus covers an incredible range of vegetative forms, from tall plants with cane-like stems, to root climbers that wind or creep their way up tree trunks. Other members are pendulous epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s (growing on other plants), and quite a number that have developed succulent foliage to a greater or lesser degree. Some species are lithophytic
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....
. One species has almost become leafless and uses its pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s as the organs of photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
.
These orchids with a sympodial
Sympodial
Sympodial means "with conjoined feet", and in biology is often used to refer to the outward morphology or mode of growth of organisms.-In botany:...
growth have rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
stems with often angled pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s. The thin to leathery leaves are folded lengthwise.
Many Bulbophyllum species have the typical odor of rotting
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
carcasses
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, and the flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
they attract assist in their reproduction through pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
.
The erect to pendent inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
arises laterally from the base of the pseudobulb. The flower form has a basic structural blueprint that serves to identify this genus. But this form can be very diverse : compound or single, with few to many flowers, with the resupinate
Resupination
Resupination generally means being upside-down, supine, facing upward. The word is derived from the Latin. In a biological context, the concept is commonly expressed with the adjectives "resupinate" or "non-resupinate."-Examples in green plants:...
flowers arranged spirally or in two vertical ranks. The sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and the petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s can also be very varied : straight or turned down, without footstalk or with a long claw at the base. They are often hairy or callous. There are two to four hard and waxy pollinia with stipes
Stipe (botany)
In botany, a stipe is a stalk that supports some other structure. The precise meaning is different depending on which taxonomic group is being described....
present or absent. The fruits are beakless capsules.
Some species are known for their extremes of vegetive and floral form:
- Bulbophyllum beccariiBulbophyllum beccariiBulbophyllum beccarii is by far the largest species in the genus Bulbophyllum and one of the largest in the orchid family.The thick rhizome, reportedly up to 20 cm in diameter snakes its way around tree trunks climbing up into the light...
- Bulbophyllum barbigerumBulbophyllum barbigerumThe Bearded Bulbophyllum is a species of orchid can be found in Myanmar,South East Asia. They wear it for special occasions. It's called "ThaZin Flower" ....
- Bulbophyllum falcatumBulbophyllum falcatumBulbophyllum falcatum is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family endemic to tropical Africa from Sierra Leone up to the Congo and western Uganda. It is a member of the section Megaclinium. It has rachis shaped like a wing that are about 10 cm long and 8-10 mm thick. On each side of the rachis...
- Bulbophyllum macphersoniiBulbophyllum macphersoniiBulbophyllum macphersonii is a species of orchid in the genus Bulbophyllum.-References:**...
- Bulbophyllum medusaeBulbophyllum medusaeThe Medusa's Bulbophyllum is a species of orchid.This orchid is named after Gorgon Medusa of Greek mythology since the long lateral sepals of its flowers are rather like the snakes that formed Medusa's hair. It is an epiphytic orchid from the Malay Peninsula, Thailand and Borneo. It has stiff...
New species are being discovered every year, such as
- Bulbophyllum ciluliae Bianch. & J.A.N.Bat., Sitientibus 2004
- Bulbophyllum orezii Sath.Kumar 2004
Bulbophyllum nocturnum
Bulbophyllum nocturnum
Bulbophyllum nocturnum is a species of epiphytic orchid that grows in New Britain. It was described in 2011, and is the first species of orchid known to consistently flower during the night, and close its flowers during the day.-Distribution:...
, a species first described in November 2011, is the only orchid known to flower at night.
There is one intergeneric hybrid : Triasphyllum (abbr.: Tphm.) (Bulbophyllum x Trias)
Conservation status
A number of Bulbophyllum species are threatened with extinctionThreatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
, and are recognised as such by the World Conservation Union
World Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
(IUCN):
- Bulbophyllum bifariumBulbophyllum bifariumBulbophyllum bifarium, or Two-Sided Bulbophyllum, is an epiphytic plant species in the Orchidaceae family, flowering in November and endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes, where it is threatened by...
, Vulnerable - Bulbophyllum filiformeBulbophyllum filiformeBulbophyllum filiforme is a species of epiphytic plant in the Orchidaceae family, found in Cameroon and Nigeria, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry, lowland evergreen forests. It was botanically described in 1895, and is currently threatened by habitat loss due to the clearing...
, Critically endangered - Bulbophyllum gravidumBulbophyllum gravidumBulbophyllum gravidum is a species of epiphytic plant in the Orchidaceae family that is found in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon . Its natural habitats are in montane, subtropical or tropical dry forests, at elevations of about 1,500 meters...
, Vulnerable - Bulbophyllum jaapiiBulbophyllum jaapiiBulbophyllum jaapii is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It was described botanically in 2001.The distribution and range of B...
, Vulnerable - Bulbophyllum kupenseBulbophyllum kupenseBulbophyllum kupense is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to Cameroon, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes; and where it is threatened by habitat loss. It was botanically described in 2004....
, Critically endangered - Bulbophyllum modicumBulbophyllum modicumBulbophyllum modicum is a possibly extinct, epiphytic plant species in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to Cameroon, and its natural habitat is threatened. It was described in 1957.All confirmed collections of B. modicum come from the outskirts of the town of Buea...
, Endangered - Bulbophyllum nigericumBulbophyllum nigericumBulbophyllum nigericum is an epiphytic or epilithic plant species in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to Cameroon , and Nigeria, where it is found growing habitually in submontane and montane, tropical or subtropical, moist forest, at elevations roughly between 800 and 2,050 meters...
, Vulnerable - Bulbophyllum pandanetorumBulbophyllum pandanetorumBulbophyllum pandanetorum is a rare species of epiphytic plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is found in Cameroon and Gabon, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests at elevations roughly between 200 and 950 meters. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was...
, Endangered - Bulbophyllum rubrolabellumBulbophyllum rubrolabellumBulbophyllum rubrolabellum is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family that is endemic to Taiwan. It was first described scientifically in 1975 by Tsan Piao Lin in the journal Taiwania: Science Reports of the National Taiwan University, and is the basionym for its treatment by Ying as B....
, Endangered - Bulbophyllum tokioiBulbophyllum tokioiBulbophyllum tokioi is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to Taiwan . It was described in 1935 by Noriaki Fukuyama.-Identification:...
, Endangered
Additionally, Bulbophyllum porphyrostachys
Bulbophyllum porphyrostachys
Bulbophyllum porphyrostachys is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria. It was botanically described in 1951.Although the distribution of B...
is listed
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
as near threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
.