Cryptostylis arachnites (Blume) Blume 1858

Photo by Nik Fahmi

LATE

Common Name The Spider-Like Cryptostylis - In China Yin Zhu Lan- In Thailand Ueang maeng mum, Ueang din malaeng po

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]

Found in Ceylon, India, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, the Philippines and Samoa from open places in lowland and montane forests in humus at altitudes of 300 to 2200 meters as a medium sized, hot to cool growing, terrestrial orchid with several thick, very hairy roots with 1 to 4, reticulate, ovate, acute, basally rounded leaves with a slender stalk that blooms in the winter on an erect, basal, 2' [60 cm] long, many [7 to 15] successively flowered inflorescence with resupinate flowers.

I am confused as to the differences between this species and C javanica. There seems to be no set difference between all authors and in my opinion C javanica and C taiwaniana may just be a synonym of this species. I have never seen any plant material from either species so this is just a guess generated by the available photos in many publications. The plants may be different and as such the fine details in plant and flower difference may be enough for species status but I await more information.

Synonyms Chlorosa latifolia Bl. 1825; Cryptostylis alismifolia F.Muell. 1881 ; Cryptostylis arachnites (Blume) Hassk. 1844; Cryptostylis erythroglossa Hayata 1914; Cryptostylis fulva Schltr. 1911; Cryptostylis fulva var. subregularis Schltr. 1911; Cryptostylis papuana Schltr. 1905; Cryptostylis stenochila Schltr. 1906; Cryptostylis vitiensis Schltr. 1906; Cryptostylis walkerae (Wight) Blume 1859; Cryptostylis zeylanica (Lindl.) Blume 1859; *Zosterostylis arachnites Blume 1825; Zosterostylis walkerae Wight 1852; Zosterostylis zeylanica Lindl. 1840

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1857; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Smith 1905; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Smith 1905 as Chlorosa latifolia; Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Fascile 2 Ames 1908; Die Orchideen Von Java Figuren Atlas J.J.Smith 1908 drawing fide; Die Orchideen Von Java Figuren Atlas J.J.Smith 1908 as Chloroa latifolia drawing not; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/1985 as Cryptostylis fulva; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1959 as Chryptostylis arachnites; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1964 corrections drawing good; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Chlorosa latifolia; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 photo ok; Indian Orchids, Guide to Identification and Culture Pradhan 1976 drawing fide; Flore de la Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependences Vol 8 Orchidaceae Halle 1977 drawing fide; Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Bind 32 nr 2 Orchids of Thailand VI Neottiideae Seidenfaden 1978 drawing fide; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 1 Quisumbing 1981; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 2 Quisumbing 1981 photo fide; A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon Vol 2 Dassanayake & Fosberg 1981 drawing fide; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989; Orchids of Java Comber 1990 photo fide; The Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville Lewis & Cribb 1991; The Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Seidenfaden & Wood 1992 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Malaya Segerback 1992 photos fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Launert 1992 photo fide; Phylogeny and Classification of the Orchid Family Dressler 1993 photo fide; The Plants of Mount Kinabalu Vol 2 Orchids Wood Beaman & Beaman 1993 photo good; Identification of the Orchids [Orchidaceae Juss.] Vietnam Averyanov 1994; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; The Orchids of Samoa Cribb & Whistler 1996 photo fide; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001 photo fide; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 1 O'Byrne 2001 photo fide; Orchids of Sarawak Beaman, Wood & Beaman etal 2001; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol III Shuiteman and de Vogel 2006; The Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 drawing ok; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Wild Orchids of the Cameron Highlands REACH 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing ok; The Atlas of Wild Orchids in Hainan Island, China Shenyan and Junmei 2010 photo ok; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide; The Orchids of Mount Kinabalu Vol 2 Wood, Beaman, Lamb, Chu Lun and Beaman 2011 drawing ok/photo ok; Wild Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Yong & Saw 2011 photo fide; Flora Of Thailand Orchidaceae Vol 12 Part 1 Pedersen, Kurzweil, Suddee & Cribb 2011 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 79 #4 2015 photo fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 1 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide

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