''Rhynchostylis cymifera'' is a species of

orchid 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 flowerin ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The specific epithet "cymifera", meaning "cyme bearing", refers to the pendent, basipetal, cymose inflorescences, which are very atypical for the genus and separates this species from others. Its morphology is very similar to ''

Rhynchostylis retusa ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' (also called foxtail orchid) is an orchid, belonging to the ''Vanda'' alliance. The inflorescence is a pendant raceme, consisting of more than 100 pink-spotted white flowers. The plant has a short, stout, creeping stem c ...

''. Flowering occurs from May to June.

Conservation

This species is rarely recorded (nine times to date) and is regarded as critically endangered. However an assessment by the IUCN has still not been made. Anthropogenic habitat destruction and wildfires pose a risk to the species.

References

cymifera Flora of India (region) Plants described in 2018 {{Vandeae-stub