Hetaeria Blume, Bijdr.: 409 (1825).
Synonyms:
Etaeria Blume, Bijdr.: 409 (1825), orth. var.
Aetheria Endl., Gen. Pl.: 214 (1837), orth. var.
Cerochilus Lindl., Gard. Chron. 1854: 87 (1854).
Rhamphidia (Lindl.) Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 1: 181 (1857).
Description:
Herbs terrestrial. Rhizomes stemlike, creeping, elongate, fleshy, with nodes. Stem erect, terete, leafy. Leaves usually asymmetric, adaxially green or sometimes with 1 white stripe along midvein, slightly fleshy, distinctly sheathed-petiolate. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, many flowered. Flowers not resupinate. Sepals free, dorsal sepal and petals forming a hood; lateral sepals embracing saccate base of labellum. Petals nearly as long as dorsal sepal, often narrower than sepals; labellum adnate to base of column, base concave, saccate, or cupular, adaxially with various kinds of calli at base, apex or toward apex +/- dilated, sometimes clawed at middle; column short, with winglike appendages on both adaxial sides; anther 2-loculed; pollinia 2, each +/- longitudinally parted, granular-farinaceous, sectile, with caudicle, shortly clavate, attached to a viscidium; rostellum erect, relatively long, furcately 2-lobed; stigmas 2, protruding, on both basal sides of rostellum; ovary not twisted. Capsule erect.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Tanzania, Comoros, Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to W. Pacific
Cultivation:
Not in cultivation
A key to the genus Hetaeria Blume
Bibliography and References:
World Checklist of Monocotyledons. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots/ accessed 01/04/2020
Stern WL, Morris MW, Judd WS, Pridgeon AM, Dressler RL. 1993 Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of Spiranthoideae (Orchidaceae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 113. 161-197.
Yam TW, Weatherhead MA. 1990 Early growth of Hetaeria cristata seedlings and plantlet initiation from rhizome nodes. Lindleyana. 5. 199-203.
Lewis BA. 1992 Additions to the orchid flora of Vanuatu in the south-west Pacific. Kew Bull. 47. (4): 685-691 (1992)
Adams LG. 1987 (881) Proposal to conserve 1507 Hetaeria Bl. (Orchidaceae). Taxon 36. (3): 651-653 (1987)