''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s from the orchid family,

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny flowers. The labellum is rigidly attached to the base of the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

. There are about fifty species native to areas from

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

and

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. The ...

to the Western Pacific.

Description

Orchids in the genus ''Octarrhena'' are small

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

or terrestrial

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with thin roots and short stems with short, thick, fleshy leaves, their bases sheathing the stem. A large number of tiny, usually white, cream-coloured, yellowish or greenish flowers are arranged on a flowering stem arising from a leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are free from each other, the petals usually much smaller than the sepals. The labellum is small, unlobed, rigidly fixed to the column and lacks a spur.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Octarrhena'' was first formally described in 1861 by George Henry Kendrick Thwaites who published the description in ''Enumeratio plantarum Zeylaniae''. The name ''Octarrhena'' is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

words ''okto'' meaning "eight" and ''arrhen'' meaning "male" or "masculine", referring the eight free pollinia in the

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

Species list

The following is a list of species of ''Octarrhena'' recognised by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected plan ...

as at January 2019: * ''

Octarrhena amesiana ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' Schltr. * ''

Octarrhena angraecoides ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (Schltr.) Schltr. * ''

Octarrhena angustifolia ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * ''

Octarrhena angustissima ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena aporoides'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * ''

Octarrhena aristata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena bilabrata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (P.Royen) W.Kittr. * ''

Octarrhena brassii ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (L.O.Williams) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena calceiformis'' (J.J.Sm.) P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena celebica ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' Schltr. * '' Octarrhena cladophylax'' (Rchb.f.) P.F.Hunt * '' Octarrhena cordata'' P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena cucullifera ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena cupulilabra'' P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena cylindrica ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' J.J.Sm * ''

Octarrhena cymbiformis ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena elmeri'' (Ames) Ames * '' Octarrhena ensifolia'' (Ames) Schltr. * '' Octarrhena exigua'' Schltr. * '' Octarrhena falcifolia'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena filiformis'' (L.O.Williams) P.Royen ** ''Octarrhena filiformis'' var. ''brachyphylla'' (L.O.Williams) P.Royen ** ''Octarrhena filiformis'' var. ''filiformis'' ** ''Octarrhena filiformis'' var. ''glabra'' P.Royen * '' Octarrhena firmula'' Schltr. * '' Octarrhena gemmifera'' Ames * '' Octarrhena gibbosa'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena goliathensis'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena gracilis'' (L.O.Williams) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena hastipetala'' J.J.Sm. * ''

Octarrhena latipetala ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (J.J.Sm.) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena lorentzii'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena macgregorii'' (Schltr.) Schltr. * '' Octarrhena mendumiana'' Schuit. & de Vogel * ''

Octarrhena miniata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (Schltr.) Schltr. * ''

Octarrhena minuscula ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' Aver. & Duy * '' Octarrhena oberonioides'' (Schltr.) Schltr. * '' Octarrhena obovata'' (J.J.Sm.) P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena parvula ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' Thwaites * '' Octarrhena platyrachis'' P.Royen * '' Octarrhena podochiloides'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * ''

Octarrhena purpureiocellata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena pusilla ''Octarrhena pusilla'', commonly known as the wispy grub orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic plant in the orchid family. It has thin roots, usually only a single stem, between three and six fleshy, cylindrical leaves and up to twenty small, ...

'' (F.M.Bailey) Dockrill * '' Octarrhena reflexa'' (J.J.Sm.) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena saccolabioides'' (Schltr.) Schltr. * '' Octarrhena salmonea'' P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena spathulata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' (Schltr.) Schuit. * '' Octarrhena tenuis'' (J.J.Sm.) J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena torricellensis'' Schltr.. * '' Octarrhena trigona'' (J.J.Sm.) P.Royen * ''

Octarrhena umbellulata ''Octarrhena'', commonly known as grub orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small, orchids with short stems, thin roots, short, thick, fleshy leaves arranged in two ranks and tiny f ...

'' Schltr. * '' Octarrhena uniflora'' Schuit. & de Vogel * '' Octarrhena vanvuurenii'' J.J.Sm. * '' Octarrhena vitellina'' (Ridl.) Schltr. * '' Octarrhena wariana'' Schltr.

Distribution

Orchids in the genus ''Octarrhena'' are found in Sri Lanka,

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, the

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, the

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, the

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New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

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and the Caroline Islands.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1303490 Podochileae genera