Nervilia Commerson ex Gaudichaud-Beaupré in Freycinet, Voy. Bot. 421. 1829, nom. cons.
Synonyms:
Stellorkis Thouars, Nouv. Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris 19: 317 (1809).
Aplostellis Thouars, Hist. Orchid.: t. 24 (1822).
Codyla Blume, Bijdr.: 416 (1825), nom. illeg.
Cordyla Blume, Bijdr.: 416 (1825), nom. illeg.
Roptrostemon Blume, Fl. Javae: vi (1828).
Haplostellis Endl., Gen. Pl.: 219 (1837).
Rophostemon Endl., Gen. Pl.: 21 (1837), orth. var.
Bolborchis Zoll. & Moritzi, Syst. Verz.: 89 (1846).
Description:
Plants terrestrial. Tuber globose or ovoid, fleshy. Leaf 1, growing after flower withered, cordate, orbicular, or kidney-shaped, thick or thin, hairy or glabrous, base cordate, with a stalk, margin entire, undulate, or cornutely toothed, apex acute or obtuse. Inflorescence 1- or many flowered from terminal base; floral bracts often small, slender. Flowers earlier than leaves, or leafless, usually slender, apex of scape with tubular sheaths; flowers medium-sized, with thin pedicel, often pendulous, labellum below or above. Sepals and petals similar, narrowly long, open, half open, or closed; labellum suberect, base without spur, unlobed or 2- or 3-lobed; column slender, clavate, wingless; clinandrium +/- protruded, entire or serrate; anthers inconspicuously 2-loculeed; pollinia 2, 2-lobed or 4-lobed, granular-farinaceous, composed of dividable masses; caudicle extremely short or absent, without viscidium; rostellum short; stigma 1, below rostellum.
Distribution:
Africa to Pacific
Cultivation:
Plants can be maintained in cultivation provided great attention is paid to the need for a dormant period after the leaf matures, and a further dry period after flowering. The leaves are more attractive subjects for cultivation than the flowers. The tubers should be planted in a well-drained but moisture- retentive compost, and the pans kept in a suitable place depending on the origin of the tubers - grassland species usually require les s shade than those collected from thicket or forest.,
Notes:
Key to the flowering species of the genus Nervilia and key to the vegetative species of the genus Nervilia
Bibliography and References:
Anon. 1991 (Correction to article Studies in the genus Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Nordic J. Bot. 9(5) : 487-497 (1990).)
Nordic J. Bot. 11. (1): 84 (1991)
Comber JB. 1981 Unusual orchids of East Java. Three Nervilias. Orchid Rev. 89. (1055): 285 - 287 (1981)
Cribb PJ. 1979 The orchids of Arabia. Kew Bull 33. (4): 651 - 678 (1979)
Gray B, Jones DL. 1985 Miscellaneous notes on the orchids of North-Eastern Queensland: 2. Corybas neocaledonicus, Nervilia crociformis
two new orchids recorded. Orchadian, 8. (5): 108-111 (1985)
Olszewski TS. 2004 A provisional checklist of the continental African Orchidaceae. 5. Vanilloideae. Pol. Bot. J. 49. 123-134
Pettersson B. 1989 Pollination in the African species of Nervilia (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 4. (1): 33-41 (1989)
Pettersson B. 1990 Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Africa. ( (Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 281)). Uppsala: Uppsala University various pagings
- illus., maps.. En Keys. Includes reprints from Lindleyana, 4(1): 33-41 (1989) and Nordic J. Bot. 9: 487-497
Pettersson B. 1990 Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Africa. Acta Univ. Upsal. 281, 26 pp. + 3 reprints from other journals. Acta Univ. upsal. 217- 31.
Pettersson B. 1990 Studies in the genus Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Africa. Nordic J. Bot. 9. (5): 487-497 (1990)
Pettersson B. 1991 The genus Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Orchid Monogr. 5. 90p. (1991)
Robbins S. 1992 Additional records of Orchidaceae for the flora of Arabia. Kew Bull. 47. (4): 721-724 (1992)
Teuscher H. 1978 Pogonia and Nervilia with a discussion of Cleistes, Isotria and Triphora. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 47. (1): 16 - 23 (1978)
Williamson G. 1983 Studies in Orchidaceae from southern Africa. J. S. Afr. Bot., 49. (4): 445-449 (1983)