Good introduction of Orchidaceae with keys to subfamilies Pankaj Ji.
I have a humble query here about the diversity of the family. While teaching Orchidaceae to students I always mention that it is second largest family in the world (after Asteraceae) with 925 genera/ 27135 species as per The Plant List 2010. The other sources also mention number of genera and species as 880/22075 (APweb), 750-800/20000=25000 (Takhtajan 2009) etc. As I saw the number mentioned by you (36000spp) I felt it essential to correct my data. Please mention the source so that I may update my notes. Is this number for naturally occurring species? DSRawat Pantnagar On Tuesday, October 1, 2013 7:03:36 AM UTC+5:30, Dr Pankaj Kumar wrote: > > Orchidaceae family is the biggest among the flowering plants comprising of > nearly 36,000 species spread across the world from hot tropics to the > arctics. They can be identified by their unique third petal which is > modified in extraordinary structures to attract pollinations; androecium > and gynoecium which is fused to form a gynostemium; anther which is > modified to form waxy or powdery pollinia apart from velamnous roots. > > Family Orchidaceae is grouped into 5 subfamilies namely: > Apostasioideae > Vanilloideae > Cypripedioideae > Orchidoideae > Epidendroideae > > Keys for subfamilies (Barretto et al. 2011: Orchids of Hong Kong) > > 1. Stamens 2 or 3 > ............................................................. 2 > Stamen solitary > ............................................................ 3 > 2. Flowers actinomorphic or sub-regular; > lateral sepals free; lip petal-like, sometimes > broader; column fused only at the base of the > filaments; anthers 2 or 3, erect above lip; > stigma terminal > .........................................APOSTASIOIDEAE > Flowers zygomorphic; lateral sepals > usually fused almost to the apex; > lip usually deeply saccate or > urn-shaped; column with 2 lateral > anthers and a terminal, sheild > shaped staminode; stigma > ventral, stalked ............................................... > CYPRIPEDIOIDEAE > 3. Plant usually terrestrial, growing > from tubers or a horizontal fleshy > rhizome; pollinia segmented, > comprised of massulae, or mealy .............. ORCHIDOIDEAE > Plants usually epiphytic or lithophytic, > ocassionally terrestrial or liana-like, > usually growing from cylindrical stems > or pseudobulbs borne on woody or > tough rhizomes; pollinia mealy or > hard, often attached by a stalk > to a sticky viscidium ........................................... 4 > 4. Plants vinous (or terrestrial); > stem cylindrical, never with > pseudobulbs; pollinia 2 powdery, > arranged in monads or tetrads, lacking > stipes and distinct viscidium ......................... VANILLOIDEAE > Plant epiphytic, lithophytic or > ocassionally terrestrial; stems > cylindrical and/or with pseudobulbs; > pollinia 2, 4, 6, 8, usually hard, rarely > sectile, often attached by 1 or 2 stipes > to 1 or 2 distinct viscidia ................................. > EPIDENDROIDEAE > > > > > -- > *********************************************************** > Pankaj Kumar, Ph.D. > IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia > > Office: > Conservation Officer > Orchid Conservation Section > Flora Conservation Department > Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation > Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > Residence: > 151, 1st Floor, Tai Om Tsuen > Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > email: [email protected]; [email protected] > Phone: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 > (mobile). Fax: +852 2483 7194 > > > -- > *********************************************************** > Pankaj Kumar, Ph.D. > IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia > > Office: > Conservation Officer > Orchid Conservation Section > Flora Conservation Department > Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation > Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > Residence: > 151, 1st Floor, Tai Om Tsuen > Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > email: [email protected] <javascript:>; [email protected] <javascript:> > Phone: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 > (mobile). Fax: +852 2483 7194 > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
