Anoectochilus Blume
in Flora Javae praef. corr. in adnot. 6 (1828) - nom and orth. cons.

Introduction: Some twenty five species are distributed from the eastern Himalayan region, Thailand, to south China, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Guinea, New Hebrides, New Caledonia and Australia.

Derivation of genus name: The name Anoectochilus was first used by Carl von Blume in 1810 and comes from the Greek words anoectos (open) and cheilos (lip). Blume later tried to modify the above spelling to Anectochilus but this was rejected bny the botany authorities of the day.

Type species: Anoectochilus setaceus (Blume) Lindley

Characteristics of genus: Usually small terrestrial herbs with a habits similar to those of the genera Eucosia, Goodyera and Macodes. The leaves are green or colured with beautiful venation, usually few flowered. Flowers are pubescent, resupinate and comparatively large in proportion to plant size. The sepals and petals are free, the petals together with the dorsal sepal form a hood; labellum is much larger than the sepals and the labellum claw possesses filiform segments on either side from a flange that emerges on the underside of the claw, labellum margins are in rolled; base is saccate containing two small protuberances; stigma two; pollinia two. Because of their attractive venation and colours, these orchids are often referred to as 'Jewel Orchids'.

Number of sections: None described.

Number of species in New Guinea: Some species have been reported from the PNG highlands but these have not been described to date. For this reason this genus has been included here. Eucosia papuana Schltr. is considered by some people to be a peloric form of Anoectochilus as it is similar in the number of pollinia and stigmas, but has a acute lanceolate-ligulate labellum without ciliate margins or basal glands. These differences have been found to be consistant over a wide sample of the geographic range of Eucosia and unless a "normal" form can be found it is considered best to keep both genera separate.

Species shown here:
Anoectochilus yatesiae F.M. Bailey (Click link to view a line drawing of this species)
the illustration is of an Australian species, redrawn by Emmanuel Saya from Australian Indigenous Orchids

Key to Illustration: A: habit; B: median longitudinal section of column and labellum; C: flower, front view; D: flower, side view; E: column, side view

Habitat: Mostly found growing in deep shade in root peat leaf litter, in gullies and stream sides