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Crystal bell orchid (Didymoplexis pallens)

Dlium Crystal bell orchid (Didymoplexis pallens)

Crystal bell orchid (Didymoplexis pallens) is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae, terrestrial mycotrophic orchid, leafless, having a fleshy rhizome, single and erect stem, 6-25 cm tall, branched, cylindrical and white or cream in color.

D. pallens has white, trumpet-shaped flowers with sepals and petals similar in size and shape and fused about half the length, 6-8 mm long, 8-10 mm wide.







The labellum is wedge-shaped, 6-7 mm long and 9-10 mm wide with the sides curved upwards. There were two or three rows of callus along the midline of the labellum.

This species grows in the shade, under clumps of bamboo, moist soil and black clay deposits. Plants appear during the first rains of the rainy season or at the end of the season. Flowers open only one day. The emergence of this orchid is triggered by the right and balanced symbiotic relationship with microorganisms.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Gastrodieae
Subtribe: Gastrodiinae
Genus: Didymoplexis Griff. in Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 4: 383 (1844)
Species: Didymoplexis pallens Griff. in Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 4: t. 17 (1844)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Epiphanes pallens (Griff.) Rchb.f. in B.Seemann, Fl. Vit.: 296 (1868)
Gastrodia pallens (Griff.) F.Muell. in Contr. Phytogr. New Hebrides: 22 (1873)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Apetalon minutum Wight in Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5: 22 (1851)
Arethusa bengalensis Hemsl. in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 20: 311 (1883)
Arethusa ecristata Griff. in Not. Pl. Asiat. 3: 378 (1851)
Cheirostylis kanarensis Blatt. & McCann in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 732 (1932)
Didymoplexis brevipes Ohwi in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 6: 238 (1937)
Didymoplexis pallens var. nantouensis T.C.Hsu in Ill. Fl. Taiwan 1: 390 (2017)
Didymoplexis subcampanulata Hayata in Icon. Pl. Formosan. 2: 136 (1912)
Didymoplexis sylvatica (Blume) Ridl. in J. Bot. 22: 345 (1884)
Leucorchis minuta (Wight) Blume in Coll. Orchid.: 147 (1859)
Leucorchis sylvatica Blume in Mus. Bot. 1: 31 (1849)

PUBLICATIONS

Averyanov, L.V. & Averyanova, A.L. (2003). Updated Checklist of the Orchids of Vietnam: 1-101. Vietnam National University Publishing House, Hanoi.

Averyanov, L.V. & al. (2016). New and rare orchids (Orchidaceae) in the flora of Cambodia and Laos. Turczaninowia 19: 5-58.

Averyanov, L.V. & al. (2018). New and rare orchid species (Orchidaceae) in the flora of Cambodia and Laos. Novosti Sistematiki Vysshikh Rastenii 49: 24-41.

Averyanov, L.V. (2011). The orchids of Vietnam illustrated survey. Part 3. Subfamily Epidendroideae (primitive tribes - Neottieae, Vanilleae, Gastrodieae, Nervilieae). Turczaninowia 14(2): 15-100.

Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-71827. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Hsu, T.C. & Chung, S.W. (2007). Didymoplexis micradenia: a newly recorded orchid (Orchidaceae) in Taiwan. Taiwania 52: 360-364.

Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (2016). Flora of Japan IVb: 1-335. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.

Khanam, M. & al. (2001). Our present knowledge on the Terrestrial Orchidaceae. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 8(2): 35-49.

Lucksom, S.Z. (2007). The orchids of Sikkim and North East Himalaya: 1-984. S.Z.Lucksom, India.

Manilal, K.S. & Kumar, C.S. (eds.) (2004). Orchid Memories A tribute to Gunnar Seidenfaden: 1-265. Mentor Books, Calicut.

Misra, S. (2004). Orchids of Orissa: 1-774. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.

Ormerod, P. (2017). Checklist of Papuasian Orchids: 1-494. Nature & Travel Books, Australia.

Ormerod, P., Kurzweil, H. & Watthana, S. (2021). Annotated List of Orchidaceae for Myanmar. Phytotaxa 481: 1-262.

Pedersen, H.Æ. & al. (2014). Flora of Thailand 12(2): 303-670. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.

Rai, S.K., Shrestha, M.R., Maden, K. & Shakya, L.R. (2007). Didymoplexis pallens Griffith (Orchidaceae): A new record for Nepal. Pleione 1(2): 55-56.

Silveira, P., Schuiteman, A., Vermeulen, J.J., Sousa, A.J., Silva, H., Paiva, J. & De Vogel, E. (2008). The orchids of Timor: checklist and conservation status. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 157: 197-215.

Sittisujjatham, S. (2006). Wild Orchid of Thailand 1: 1-495. Amarin.

Wu, Z. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2009). Flora of China 25: 1-570. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

VERNACULAR NAME

Aceh: Tanoh ateuh, Anggrek tanoh
Australia: Crystal bells
Bali: Tanah baduur
English: Crystal bell, Crystal bells, Crystal bell orchid, Ghost orchid
Indonesian: Anggrek tanah, Bunga tanah
Java: Kembang lemah, Anggrek lemah
Malayu: Tanah ateh
Sunda: Taneuh luhur, Anggrek taneuh
Thai: คริสตัลเบลล์ - กล้วยมดดอกขาว

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