Luisia Gaudich.

Genus

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae

Characteristics

Herbs, epiphytic or lithophytic, monopodial. Stems erect or climbing, often branched at base and tufted, some with a single shoot, terete, slender, usually stiff, enclosed in leaf bases. Leaves many, well spaced, linear, terete, distichous, facing all directions or secund, fleshy, jointed and sheathing at base. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, dense, subsessile, fewer than 10-flowered; peduncle and rachis attenuate. Flowers usually small, fleshy. Sepals and petals free, similar or petals longer and narrower, spreading; lateral sepals often dorsally carinate or narrowly winged toward apex. Lip pendulous, fleshy, fixed immovably to base of column, often distinctly divided by a groove into basal hypochile and apical epichile; hypochile often concave, base sometimes with lateral lobes embracing column; epichile often extending forward, adaxially often longitudinally wrinkled or grooved. Column subcylindric, short, stout, foot absent; rostellum short, wide, apex subtruncate; pollinia 2, waxy, globose, porate, attached by a short and broad stipe to a solitary, short, broad viscidium.
More
Epiphytic orchids that develop into untidy clumps with long, fibrous, straggly stems and thick, spreading roots. Leaves well-spaced, terete, tough, leathery. Inflorescences short, club-like, arising on stems opposite leaf, producing flowers at intervals; scape lengthening before next batch of flowers opens. Ovaries strongly curved. Flowers resupinate, relatively small, dull-coloured, not opening widely, each lasting several days. Dorsal sepal free, incurved over column. Lateral sepals broader than dorsal sepal, flanking column. Petals incurved, longer and narrower than sepals. Labellum fixed to column base. Labellum lamina lobed; epichil broader and fleshier than hypochil. Column short, without basal foot. Pollinia 2, hard, waxy, orange, sessile or stalked, attached via short, broad stipe to small viscidium.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Root system fibrous-root
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Environment

Found growing on rough-barked trees in warm, humid locations where there is plenty of light and free air movement, often in coastal and near-coastal areas.
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

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Cultivation

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