Manniella Rchb.f., Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 109 (1881).
Description:
Terrestrial herb. Rhizome short, vertical. Leaves gathered in the basal rosette, petiolate. Inflorescence terminal. Flowers long tubular, slightly arched. Lip long clawed, very thick with two basal lobules. Gynostemium sigmoid. Column foot oblique, adnate to the ovary. Staminodes large, wing-like, relatively thick, fleshy, clinandrium absent. Stigma entire, flat, oval. Rostellum very small, inconspicuous. Viscidium tiny. Rostellum remnant shallowly notched. Anther immovable, incumbent, 2-chambered, obovate with very thick connective. Pollinia 2, compact.
Etymology:
The genus is named after Gustav Mann (1836–1916) was a German botanist who led expeditions in West Africa and was also a gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Generitype:
Manniella gustavi Rchb.f.
A key to the species of the genus Manniella Rchb.f.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Tanzania
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 1/16/2010; Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010; Salazar, G.A., T. Franke, L. Zapfack and L. Beenken. 2002. A new species of Manniella (Orchidaceae, Cranichideae) from western tropical Africa, with notes on protandry in the genus. Lindleyana 17: 239-276.