Recollection of a rare epiphytic orchid Taeniophyllum filiforme J.J. Sm. (Orchidaceae)
after a lapse of 135 years from South Andaman Islands, India
K. Karthigeyan 1, R. Sumathi 2 & J. Jayanthi 3
1 Central
National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, A.J.C.B. Indian Botanic Garden,
P.O. Botanic Garden, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India
2 Foundation for Revitalisationof Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Attur Post (via Yelahanka), Bengaluru Karnataka 560064, India
3 Botanical
Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, 7 - Koregaon Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411001,
India
Email: 1karthigeyan.murthy@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 sumathi.ramamurthy@gmail.com,3 jayanthi.bsi@gmail.com
Date of publication (online): 26
December 2012
Date of publication (print): 26
December 2012
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893
(print)
Editor: N.P. Balakrishnan
Manuscript details:
Ms # o2851
Received 29 June 2011
Final received 25 July 2012
Finally accepted 23 October 2012
Citation: Karthigeyan, K., R. Sumathi & J. Jayanthi(2012). Recollection of a rare epiphytic orchid Taeniophyllum filiforme J.J. Sm. (Orchidaceae)
after a lapse of 135 years from South Andaman Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(15): 3433–3435.
Copyright: © K. Karthigeyan, R. Sumathi & J. Jayanthi 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedLicense. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this
article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by
providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to
Dr. M. Sanjappa, Ex-Director, Dr. H.J. Chowdhery, Addl. Director (Retd.) and Dr. P.G. Diwakar, Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India for
encouragement and facilities. They also thank Dr. D. Narasimhanand Dr. C. Livingstone, Madras Christian College, Tambaramfor encouragement.
For
figures, images -- click here
The genus Taeniophyllum Blume is a group of small monopodial,
leafless epiphytic orchid with a minute central stem. The generic name denotes the
tapeworm-like long roots. The roots
are green, contain chlorophyll that performs photosynthesis and the true leaves
are reduced to tiny scales covering the stem. It belongs to the Vandeaegroup of the tribe Epidendroideae of the family Orchidaceae (Seidenfaden 1988; Seidenfaden& Wood 1992; Comber 2001; Mabberley 2008). So far 170 species have been reported which are distributed from
tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka, East and Southeast Asia, to Australia and
the Pacific Islands (Comber 1990; Mabberley2008). Nine species are reported
from India including four endemics (Kumar & Manilal1994). Three species are known to
occur in the Andaman Islands, namely, the endemic Taeniophyllum andamanicum N.P. Balakr.& Bhargava, T. filiforme J. J. Sm. and T. insulare Seidenf. (Rao 1986; Mathew 1998; Pandey& Diwakar 2008).
The occurrence of Taeniophyllum filiformein the Andaman Islands was first known when Dr. Lars Johnson identified this
species from the collection made by Kurz from the
South Andamans in 1867 deposited in Kew. After that there was no record of this
extremely rare species from the Andaman Islands and the occurrence of this
interesting species remained a mystery. While inventorising the floristic diversity of
Rutland Island during the year 2002 this flimsy orchid was found growing on the
branches of Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb. ex DC. and only a few individuals were observed. On scrutiny of literature it was
identified as Taeniophyllum filiforme, an extremely rare orchid in the inland
forests of the Andaman Islands. The
present collection of this tiny orchid from the tropical forests of South
Andaman is a recollection after a lapse of 135 years. Since this orchid is leafless, only the
green roots appear on the bark of trees, the pale yellow flowers are very short
lived and this could be one of the reasons for being unnoticed over many
years. Taeniophyllum filiforme is also listed in the CITES Appendix II
by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP WCMC 2003). Detailed description and illustration
along with notes on its ecology and distribution are provided for easy
identification of this rare orchid.
Taeniophyllum Blume, Bijdr.
355. 1825; Hook.f., Flora
British India 6: 76. 1890. Lectotype: T. obtusum Blume.
Taeniophyllum filiforme J.J. Sm. Bull. Inst. Bot. Buitenzorg 7: 4. 1900; Seidenf. in Opera Bot. 95:
21. 1988; J.B. Comber in Orchids Java 360. 1990; Seidenf. &
J.J. Wood in Orchids Penin. Malaysia &
Singapore 579. 1992; J.B. Comber in Orchids Sumatra 980.2001. T. macrorrhizum Ridl.in Fl. Malay Penin. 4: 176. 1924. (Fig. 1; Images 1&2).
Epiphytes. Roots wiry, more
or less flat, green. Inflorescence
arising from the base, 1–2 flowered, ca. 5.5cm long, slender.Bracts ca. 1.5mm long, membranous. Flowers pale yellow, ca. 1x0.25 cm. Pedicel with ovary ca. 4x1 mm. Dorsal sepal narrowly
oblong, ca. 4x1 mm, obtuse at apex. Lateral sepals narrowly oblong, ca. 4x1.5 mm,
obtuse at apex. Petals
oblong - lanceolate, ca. 4.5x1.5 mm, obtuse at apex. Lip fleshy, ca. 3.8 x 2.5 mm, pale
yellow, sheathing the column; spur club - shaped, c. 4.5 x 1.8 mm. Column ca. 1mm long,
with a long upwardly facing beak on the operculum.
Specimen examined: 28.vi.2002, inland evergreen forests, Rutland Island, South Andamans, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India, coll. K. Karthigeyan, 6086 Port Blair herbarium(PBL) (Image 3).
Flowering & Fruiting: June–August.
Ecology: Extremely rare; in the inland forests
of Rutland Island growing on the tree trunks of Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb. ex DC.
Distribution: India (Andaman Islands); Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and
Indonesia.
Note: This species can easily escape from sight owing to its small
leafless habit, green roots that grow on the tree trunks either near the forest
floor or among the dense foliage of smaller twigs. This species is distributed in
Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. In the Andaman Islands only very few
individuals were located from a single spot.
REFERENCES
Comber,
J.B. (1990). Orchids of Java. Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, 360pp.
Comber,
J.B. (2001). Orchids of Sumatra. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 980pp.
Kumar,
C.S. & K.S. Manilal (1994). A
Catalogue of Indian Orchids. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal
Singh, Dehra Dun, 85pp.
Mabberley, D.J. (2008). Mabberley’s Plant-book: A Portable
Dictionary of Plants: Utilizing Kubitzki’s The
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Mathew, S.P. (1998). A supplementary report on the flora and vegetation of the Bay
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