Introduction: More than eighty species divided into five sections are known with a distribution from the Himalayas, Indonesia, New Guinea to New Caledonia.
Derivation of genus name: Latin appendicula (little appendix). This describes the appendiculate calluses of the lip.
Type species: A. alba Bl. Lectotype
Characteristics of genus:Plants small to large, erect to pendulous, simple or branched stems, leaves small to large , flat, usualy obligue to the stems. Inflorsecence terminal or lateral, short or long. Dorsal sepal free, laterals forming a mentum. labelum joined to a column foot. Most species form large, close tufts of stems and have white, green-yellow or red uninteresting flowers.
Number of sections and/or subsections in genus: five sections described:
Eu-appendicula: Chiefly distinguished by their usually very short, lateral inflorescences. Very close to the second section by bract characteristic.
Chaunodesme: Distinguished by their mainly terminal racemes which are loosly pendant and gradually elongated with large reflexed bracts.
Pododesme: This is recognised by its long-stalked inflorescences covered for the greatest part by closely surrounding sheaths.
Number of species in New Guinea: These mostly large epiphytic orchids are represented in New Guinea with some 43 - 50 species. A. reflexa Blume is wide-spread in the lowlands of New Guinea.
Species shown here: Appendicula polystachia
drawn by Neville H.S. Howcroft
Photos: Appendicula species
Habitat: Most species form large, close tufts of stems and have white, green-yellow or red uninteresting flowers.
Conservation status: not known
Appendicula Blume