Robiquetia Gaudichaud
in Freycinet, Voy. Bot. (1826), 426, t. 34.
INTRODUCTION: About forty species have been described. These are distributed from Southeast Asia through to New Guinea and some Pacific Islands.
DERIVATION OF GENUS NAME: Originally established by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré, this genus was reestablished by J.J. Smith in 1912, separating some species from the genus Saccolabium Bl. The name honours Pierre Robiquet, a French chemist of the late seventeenth century, who made numerous import chemical discoveries, including caffeine and morphine.
TYPE SPECIES: Robiquetia ascendens Gaud.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GENUS: Epiphytic, monopodial herbs, medium to large sized, with have broad, flat, apically bi-lobed leaves. The pendant pseudobulbs carry pendulous, rather thick inflorescences with numerous small flowers The flowers do not open widely and are characterized by the spur on the lip. Flower colours range from whitish-yellow to deep red.
HABITAT:The species in this genus can be found in light tropical rain forests up to an elevation of 1,500 m a.s.l.
SPECIES LINE DRAWING: Robiquetia gracilistipes (Schltr) J.J. Smith drawn by N.H.S. Howcroft
KEY TO ILLUSTRATION: A: plant; B: inflorescence; C-D: flower; E: column and labellum; F: cross section of flower; G: dorsal sepal; H: petal; I: lateral sepal; K: anther, side and front view
Robiquetia Gaudichaud