Calanthe

''Calanthe'', commonly known as Christmas orchids, is a genus of about 220 species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae. They are evergreen or deciduous terrestrial plants with thick roots, small oval pseudobulbs, large corrugated leaves and upright, sometimes arching flowering stems. The sepals and petals are narrow and a similar size to each other and the labellum usually has spreading lobes.

Description

Orchids in the genus ''Calanthe'' are terrestrial with small, crowded pseudobulbs with thick roots and a few corrugated or wrinkled leaves with the base tapering to a petiole-like stalk. Some species are evergreen while others are deciduous. The flowers are delicate but showy, white, pink, yellow or orange and crowded near the end of an erect, sometimes arching flowering stem. The sepals and petals are relatively narrow, similar in size and spread widely. The labellum has three or four spreading lobes and in most species there is a spur at the base. Unlike similar orchids, the labellum of ''Calanthe'' orchids is fused to the column.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Calanthe'' was first formally described in 1821 by Robert Brown and his manuscript was published in ''The Botanical Register''. The name ''Calanthe'' is derived from the Ancient Greek words ''kallos'' meaning "beauty" and ''anthos'' meaning "flower".

Distribution and habitat

''Calanthe'' species are found in all tropical areas, but mostly concentrated in Southeast Asia. Some species also range into subtropical and tropical lands such as China, India, Madagascar, Australia, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

List of species

The following is a list of species of ''Calanthe'' recognised by the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'' as at August 2018:

* '' Calanthe abbreviata'' (Blume) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe aceras'' Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe alba'' W.Suarez & Cootes
* '' Calanthe albolutea'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe alismifolia'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe alleizettei'' Gagnep.
* '' Calanthe alpina'' Hook.f. ex Lindl.
* '' Calanthe alta'' Rchb.f.
* '' Calanthe angustifolia'' (Blume) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe aquamarina'' Schuit. & de Vogel
* '' Calanthe arcuata'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe arfakana'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe argenteostriata'' C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng
* '' Calanthe arisanensis'' Hayata
* '' Calanthe aristulifera'' Rchb.f.
* '' Calanthe aruank'' P.Royen
* '' Calanthe aurantiaca'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe aureiflora'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe balansae'' Finet
* '' Calanthe baliensis'' J.J.Wood & J.B.Comber
* '' Calanthe beamanii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe beleensis'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe bicalcarata'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe biloba'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe bingtaoi'' J.W.Zhai, L.J.Chen & Z.J.Liu
* '' Calanthe bivalvis'' P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
* '' Calanthe brassii'' Ormerod
* '' Calanthe brevicornu'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe burkei'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe calanthoides'' (A.Rich. & Galeotti) Hamer & Garay in F.Hamer
* '' Calanthe camptoceras'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe cardioglossa'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe carrii'' Govaerts
* '' Calanthe caulescens'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe caulodes'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe ceciliae'' Rchb.f.
* '' Calanthe celebica'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe chevalieri'' Gagnep.
* '' Calanthe chloroleuca'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe chrysoglossoides'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe clavata'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe clavicalcar'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe claytonii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe coiloglossa'' Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe conspicua'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe coodei'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe cootesii'' Naive
* '' Calanthe coreana'' Nakai – Korean calanthe
* '' Calanthe cremeoviridis'' J.J.Wood
* '' Calanthe crenulata'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe crispifolia'' Ormerod
* '' Calanthe cruciata'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe crumenata'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe crystallina'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe davaensis'' Ames
* '' Calanthe davidii'' Franch.
* '' Calanthe daymanensis'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe delavayi'' Finet
* '' Calanthe densiflora'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe devogelii'' P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
* '' Calanthe discolor'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe dulongensis'' H.Li, R.Li & Z.L.Dao
* '' Calanthe duyana'' Aver.
* '' Calanthe ecallosa'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe ecarinata'' Rolfe ex Hemsl.
* '' Calanthe emeishanica'' K.Y.Lang & Z.H.Tsi
* '' Calanthe engleriana'' Kraenzl. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe epiphytica'' Carr
* '' Calanthe fargesii'' Finet
* '' Calanthe finisterrae'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe fissa'' L.O.Williams
* '' Calanthe flava'' (Blume) C.Morren
* '' Calanthe floresana'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe forbesii'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe formosana'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe fragrans'' P.Royen
* '' Calanthe fugongensis'' X.H.Jin & S.C.Chen
* '' Calanthe geelvinkensis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe gibbsiae'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe goodenoughiana'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe graciliflora'' Hayata
* '' Calanthe graciliscapa'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe griffithii'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe habbemensis'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe halconensis'' Ames
* '' Calanthe hancockii'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe hattorii'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe henryi'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe herbacea'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe hirsuta'' Seidenf.
* '' Calanthe hololeuca'' Rchb.f. in B.Seemann
* '' Calanthe hoshii'' S.Kobay.
* '' Calanthe hyacinthina'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe imthurnii'' Kores
* '' Calanthe inflata'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe insularis'' S.H.Oh, H.J.Suh & C.W.Park
* '' Calanthe izu-insularis'' (Satomi) Ohwi & Satomi in J.Ohwi
* '' Calanthe johorensis'' Holttum
* '' Calanthe judithiae'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe jusnerii'' Boxall ex Náves in F.M.Blanco
* '' Calanthe kaniensis'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe kemulensis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe keshabii'' Lucksom
* '' Calanthe kinabaluensis'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe labrosa'' (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f.
* '' Calanthe lacerata'' Ames
* '' Calanthe lambii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe lamellosa'' Rolfe
* '' Calanthe lancilabris'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe lechangensis'' Z.H.Tsi & Tang
* '' Calanthe leonidii'' P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
* '' Calanthe leucosceptrum'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe leuseri'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe ligo'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe limprichtii'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe longgangensis'' Y.S.Huang & Yan Liu
* '' Calanthe longibracteata'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe longifolia'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe lyroglossa'' Rchb.f.
* '' Calanthe madagascariensis'' Rolfe ex Hook.f.
* '' Calanthe mannii'' Hook.f.
* '' Calanthe maquilingensis'' Ames
* '' Calanthe masuca'' (D.Don) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe maxii'' P.O'Byrne
* '' Calanthe mcgregorii'' Ames
* '' Calanthe metoensis'' Z.H.Tsi & K.Y.Lang
* '' Calanthe micrantha'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe microglossa'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe millikenii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe millotae'' Ursch & Genoud ex Bosser
* '' Calanthe mindorensis'' Ames, Philipp. J. Sci.
* '' Calanthe moluccensis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe monophylla'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe muelleri'' Kraenzl.
* '' Calanthe musa-amanii'' J.J.Wood
* '' Calanthe nankunensis'' Z.H.Tsi
* '' Calanthe nicolae'' P.O'Byrne
* '' Calanthe nipponica'' Makino
* '' Calanthe nivalis'' Boxall ex Náves in F.M.Blanco
* '' Calanthe obreniformis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe odora'' Griff.
* '' Calanthe okinawensis'' Hayata
* '' Calanthe oreadum'' Rendle
* '' Calanthe otuhanica'' C.L.Chan & T.J.Barkman
* '' Calanthe ovalifolia'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe ovata'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe papuana'' (Schltr.) J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe parvilabris'' Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe pauciverrucosa'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe pavairiensis'' Ormerod
* '' Calanthe perrottetii'' A.Rich.
* '' Calanthe petelotiana'' Gagnep.
* '' Calanthe plantaginea'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe poiformis'' P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
* '' Calanthe polyantha'' Gilli, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien
* '' Calanthe puberula'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe pulchra'' (Blume) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe pullei'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe punctata'' Kurzweil
* '' Calanthe purpurea'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe reflexilabris'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe rhodochila'' Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe rigida'' Carr
* '' Calanthe rosea'' (Lindl.) Benth.
* '' Calanthe rubens'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe rubra'' S.H.Oh, H.J.Suh & C.W.Park
* '' Calanthe ruttenii'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe saccata'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe sacculata'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe salaccensis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe sandsii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe scaposa'' Z.H.Tsi & K.Y.Lang
* '' Calanthe secunda'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe seranica'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe simplex'' Seidenf.
* '' Calanthe sinica'' Z.H.Tsi
* '' Calanthe solomonensis'' P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
* '' Calanthe spathoglottoides'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe speciosa'' (Blume) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe stella'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe striata'' R.Br. ex Spreng.
* '' Calanthe succedanea'' Gagnep.
* '' Calanthe sylvatica'' (Thouars) Lindl.
* '' Calanthe taenioides'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe tahitensis'' Nadeaud
* '' Calanthe takeuchii'' Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe tenuis'' Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames
* '' Calanthe torricellensis'' Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach
* '' Calanthe transiens'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe tricarinata'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe trifida'' Tang & F.T.Wang
* ''Calanthe triplicata'' (Willemet) Ames
* '' Calanthe trulliformis'' King & Pantl.
* '' Calanthe truncata'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe truncicola'' Schltr.
* '' Calanthe tsoongiana'' Tang & F.T.Wang
* '' Calanthe tsoongiana'' var. guizhouensis Z.H.Tsi
* '' Calanthe uncata'' Lindl.
* '' Calanthe undulata'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe unifolia'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe velutina'' Ridl.
* '' Calanthe ventilabrum'' Rchb.f. in B.Seemann
* '' Calanthe versteegii'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe vestita'' Wall. ex Lindl.
* '' Calanthe villosa'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Calanthe wenshanensis'' J.W.Zhai, L.J.Chen & Z.J.Liu
* '' Calanthe whistleri'' P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
* '' Calanthe whiteana'' King & Pantl.
* '' Calanthe womersleyi'' P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
* '' Calanthe woodii'' P.J.Cribb
* '' Calanthe yaoshanensis'' Z.X.Ren & H.Wang
* '' Calanthe yueana'' Tang & F.T.Wang
* '' Calanthe yuksomnensis'' Lucksom
* '' Calanthe zollingeri'' Rchb.f.

Gallery

Calanthe triplicata - Flickr 003 - cropped.jpg, Calanthe triplicata, the Calanthe type species, from Florida International University
R. Warner & B.S. Williams - The Orchid Album - volume 08 - plate 354 (1889).jpg, Botanical illustration of Calanthe masuca, from The Orchid Album vol. 8
Calanthe discolor.JPG, Calanthe discolor from Shiga prefecture, Japan
Calanthe brevicornu - Sertum - Lindley pl. 9 (1838).jpg, Botanical illustration of Calanthe brevicornu from John Lindley's Sertum Orchidaceum
Calanthe argenteostriata 02.jpg, Flowers of '' Calanthe argenteostriata''
Calanthe izu-insularis 'Mikura Otome' (Mikura Is.) (Satomi) Ohwi & Satomi, J.Ohwi, Fl. Jap., ed. rev.- 1437 (1965) (34031847852).jpg, Flowers of '' Calanthe izu-insularis''

References

External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q133768

Collabieae genera
Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)