Spathoglottis
Spathoglottis, commonly known as purple orchids or 苞舌兰属 is a genus of about fifty species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae. They are evergreen terrestrial herbs with crowded pseudobulbs, a small number of leaves and medium-sized resupinate flowers on an upright flowering stem. The sepals and petals are all similar to each other and are white, yellow, pink or purple. Species of Spathoglottis are found from eastern and south-eastern Asia to Australia and some Pacific Islands.
Description
Orchids in the genus Spathoglottis are evergreen, terrestrial herbs with crowded pseudobulbs just below the surface of the soil and a few large, pleated leaves. The flowering stem emerges from a pseudoblulb and bears medium-sized, colourful flowers. The flowers open widely with the sepals and petals all similar in size to each other, although with the petals usually broader, the sepals are hairy on the outside. The labellum has three lobes, the side lobes more or less upright and the middle lobe with a claw near its base.Taxonomy and naming
The genus Spathoglottis was first formally described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume who published the description in Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië, and the first species he described was S. plicata. The genus name Spathoglottis is derived from the Greek spathe, spathe, and glotta, tongue, a probable reference to the broad labellum midlobe".Species list
Species accepted by the Plants of the World Online as of October 2025 are:Spathoglottis affinis de VrieseSpathoglottis albida Kraenzl.Spathoglottis arunachalensis Tsering & K.PrasadSpathoglottis aurea Lindl.Spathoglottis bulbosa Schltr.Spathoglottis carolinensis Schltr.Spathoglottis chrysantha AmesSpathoglottis chrysodorus T.GreenSpathoglottis confusa J.J.Sm.Spathoglottis doctorsii J.J.Sm.Spathoglottis eburnea Gagnep.Spathoglottis elmeri AmesSpathoglottis elobulata J.J.Sm.Spathoglottis erectiflora Kraenzl.Spathoglottis gracilis Rolfe ex Hook.f.Spathoglottis hardingiana C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f.Spathoglottis ixioides Lindl.Spathoglottis jetsuniae Gyeltshen, Tobgyel & DalströmSpathoglottis kenejiae Schltr.Spathoglottis kimballiana Hook.f.- * Spathoglottis kimballiana var. angustifolia Ames
- * Spathoglottis kimballiana var. antiquensis T.Green
- * Spathoglottis kimballiana var. kimballianaSpathoglottis latifolia Garay & OrmerodSpathoglottis lobbii Rchb.f.Spathoglottis microchilina Kraenzl.Spathoglottis micronesiaca Schltr.Spathoglottis pacifica Rchb.f.Spathoglottis palawanensis Lubag-ArquizaSpathoglottis papuana F.M.BaileySpathoglottis × parsonii Ames & Quisumb.Spathoglottis parviflora Kraenzl.Spathoglottis paulinae F.Muell.Spathoglottis petri Rchb.f.Spathoglottis philippinensis Lubag-ArquizaSpathoglottis plicata BlumeSpathoglottis portus-finschii Kraenzl.Spathoglottis pubescens Lindl.Spathoglottis pulchra Schltr.Spathoglottis smithii KoresSpathoglottis sulawesiensis T.GreenSpathoglottis tomentosa Lindl.Spathoglottis tricallosa J.J.Sm.Spathoglottis unguiculata Rchb.f.Spathoglottis vanoverberghii AmesSpathoglottis vanvuurenii J.J.Sm.Spathoglottis velutina Schltr.