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On Some Imperfectly Known Genera in Chinese Orchid Flora

Chen Sing-Chi, Tsi Zhan-Huo   

  • Received:1900-01-01 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:1992-05-18 Published:1992-05-18
  • Contact: Chen Sing-Chi

Abstract:

The present paper attempts to deal with chinese species of Pelexia, Flickingeria,
Sedirea and Hygrochilus, which are little known to Chinese botanists and not included in “A
Dictionary of the Families and Genera of Chinese Seed Plants” (2nd edition, 1984).
     Pelexia is a tropical American genus with one species, P. obliqua, found in Asia, which
was discovered by J. J. Smith in Bogor and named Spiranthes obliqua in 1910. No further re-
cord of its occurrence was known until S. Y. Hu and G. Barretto published a new Hongkong
plant named Manniella hongkongensis in 1976, which was considered by L. A. Garay in 1980
as conspecific with what J. J. Smith published in 1910. We agree with Garay in treating the
species as a member of Pelexia, and consider it as exotic rather than indigenous to Asia due
to its rareness and limited occurrence in Bogor and Hongkong.
     Flickingeria was published by A. D. Hawkes in the mimeographed journal “The Orchid
Weekly” in January of 1961 to serve as a substitute for the rejected name Desmotrichum
Blume. Five months later, however, for the same plant another new name Ephemerantha was
published by P. F. Hunt and V. S. Summerhayes in “Taxon” together with a footnote from
the authors claiming that Flickingeria was not effectively published because the journal was
only mimeographed and not printed. Although Ephemerantha was generally accepted in
China, we agree with R. K. Brummitt in considering Flickingeria to be an effectively pub-
fished name. This genus is represented in China by four species, of which F. albopurpurea and
F. angustifolia are newly recorded.
      Sedirea was established by L. A. Garay and H. R. Sweet in 1974 for Aeridesjaponica
Lindenb. et Rchb. f. , which was then known from Japan and Korea and now also from
China. The second species, S. subparishii, was reported from China recently, which was a
transfer from Hygrochilus. Of interest is the occurrence of S. japonica in southwest of Yunnan
bordering on Burma and not in any other part of China. Though we thought that the Yunnan
plant might be distinct from Japanese one, we failed to differentiate them from each other.
     Hygrochilus is an addition to Chinese orchid flora. Although the genus was reported to
be found in China in 1982, it was based on Hygrochilus subparishii Tsi, which was transferred
to Sedirea in 1985. The genus was established by E. Pfitzer for Vanda parishii, which was
found in Burma and recently also in Thailand. The Chinese specimens listed here were collec-
ted by C. W. Wang in southern Yunnan in June 1936. No further collection has been known
since then. Vanda parishil was published by H. G. Reichenbach in Xenia Orchidaceae in
1868, but many authors, such as J. D. Hooker and E. Pfitzer, mistook its authors for Veitch
and Rchb. f. For example, the literature cited by J. D. Hooker for Vanda parishii in Flora of
British India (6:51.1890) is “Gard. Chron. 1867: 180”, but we found on that page not “Vanda
parishii” but “ Vanda bensoni Veitch et Rchb. F. ”. In addition, a redescription of Vanda parishii
by H. G. Reichenbach himself was found on page 890 (1870)in the same literature, in which
the author name of Vanda parishii is “Rchb. F.” instead of “Veitch et Rchb. f. ”.
     In addition to the account of these genera and some species, keys to Chinese species of
Flickingeria and Sedirea are provided.

Key words: Pelexia, Flickingeria, Sedirea, Hygrochilus

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