Vrydagzynea
Vrydagzynea, commonly called tonsil orchids, is a genus of orchids in the tribe Cranichideae. About forty five species of Vrydagzynea have been formally described. They are native to India, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. A single species in Australia is possibly extinct. They have thinly textured, stalked leaves and small, dull-coloured resupinate flowers with the dorsal sepal and petals overlapping to form a hood over the column.
Description
Orchids in the genus Vrydagzynea are terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herbs with a fleshy, creeping, above-ground rhizome anchored by wiry roots. The leaves are thinly textured and stalked, arranged in a rosette at the base of the flowering stem or scattered along it. Small, resupinate dull-coloured flowers are crowded along the short flowering stem which usually has protruding bracts. The dorsal sepal and petals overlap, forming a hood over the column. The labellum has a downward pointing spur and two stalked glands that resemble tonsils or testicles. Orchids in this genus are distinguished from those in other similar genera by the labellum glands, labellum spur and by having petals which are shorter than the sepals.
Taxonomy and naming
The genus Vrydagzynea was first formally described in 1858 by Carl Ludwig Blume and the description was published in his book Collection des Orchidées les plus remarquables de l'archipel Indien et du Japon. The name Vrydagzynea honours the Dutch pharmacologist Theodore Daniel Vrydag Zynen, a contemporary of Blume.
The following is a list of species of Vrydagzynea recognised by Plants of the World Online as at October 2025:Vrydagzynea albida Blume - Bangladesh to New Guinea, Indochina, Indonesia, Philippines, Nicobar IslandsVrydagzynea albostriata Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New GuineaVrydagzynea angustisepala J.J.Sm. - BorneoVrydagzynea argentistriata Carr - SabahVrydagzynea argyrotaenia Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New Guinea, Solomon Islands, VanuatuVrydagzynea beccarii Schltr. - SarawakVrydagzynea bicostata Carr - SabahVrydagzynea bractescens Ridl. - Sumatra, BorneoVrydagzynea brassii Ormerod - New GuineaVrydagzynea buruensis J.J.Sm. - Sulawesi, MalukuVrydagzynea celebica Schltr. - SulawesiVrydagzynea deliana J.J.Sm. - SumatraVrydagzynea elata Schltr. - Sabah, SarawakVrydagzynea elongata Blume - New Guinea, Maluku and QueenslandVrydagzynea endertii J.J.Sm. - BorneoVrydagzynea formosana Hayata - Assam, China, Vietnam, JapanVrydagzynea gracilis Blume - Java, SumatraVrydagzynea grandis Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames - SabahVrydagzynea guppyi Schltr. - Solomon IslandsVrydagzynea kerintjiensis J.J.Sm - SumatraVrydagzynea lancifolia Ridl. - Thailand, Malaysia, BorneoVrydagzynea micronesiaca Schltr. - PohnpeiVrydagzynea neohibernica Schltr. - Bismarck ArchipelagoVrydagzynea novaguineensis J.J.Sm. - New GuineaVrydagzynea nuda Blume - Hainan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Borneo, JavaVrydagzynea obliqua Schltr. - SulawesiVrydagzynea paludosa J.J.Sm. - Queensland, New Guinea, Solomon IslandsVrydagzynea pauciflora J.J.Sm. - BorneoVrydagzynea purpurea Blume - JavaVrydagzynea salomonensis Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - Vanuatu, Solomon IslandsVrydagzynea samoana Schltr - Vanuatu, Fiji, SamoaVrydagzynea schumanniana Kraenzl. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New GuineaVrydagzynea semicordata J.J.Sm. - BorneoVrydagzynea sessilifolia Ormerod - New GuineaVrydagzynea tilungensis J.J.Sm. - BorneoVrydagzynea triangularis Ormerod & J.J.Wood - SabahVrydagzynea tristriata Ridl. - Thailand, Malaysia, BorneoVrydagzynea truncicola Schltr. - New GuineaVrydagzynea uncinata Blume - JavaVrydagzynea viridiflora Hook.f.Vrydagzynea vitiensis Rchb.f - Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, TongaVrydagzynea vrydagzynoides Ormerod - LeyteVrydagzynea weberi Ames - Philippines