Cyrtopodium

R. Brown

in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 5: 216. 1813.

Etymology: Greek kyrtos, curved swelling, and podium, foot, probably alluding to conspicuous column foot
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 642. Mentioned on page 495.

Herbs, terrestrial or epiphytic, cespitose. Stems pseudobulbs, ovate-fusiform. Leaves deciduous, distichous; blade articulate, plicate, leathery, apex acuminate. Inflorescences from base of pseudobulbs, racemes to panicles, erect; floral bracts large, showy, margins undulate. Flowers resupinate, showy; sepals and petals membranaceous, margins often conspicuously undulate; lip adnate to apex of column foot, subsessile to conspicuously clawed, conspicuously 3-lobed, disc with tuberculate, cristate, or verrucose callus; column slightly arcuate, sometimes nearly club-shaped, semiterete, forming conspicuous foot; anther terminal, incumbent, operculate, imperfectly 2-locular; pollinia 2, yellow, nearly triangular, sulcate, cartilaginous, attached to short, trowel-shaped viscidium. Fruits capsules, pendent, pear-shaped.

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical regions, North America, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Species 15–30 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Lip middle lobe margin not conspicuously verruculose-tuberculate; lateral lobes bright yellow, shorter than middle lobe; plants terrestrial. Cyrtopodium polyphyllum
1 Lip middle lobe margin conspicuously verruculose-tuberculate, lateral lobes spotted or solid dark orange or maroon, longer than middle lobe; epiphytic. Cyrtopodium punctatum
... more about "Cyrtopodium"
Gustavo A. Romero-González +
R. Brown +
Tropical and subtropical regions +, North America +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America. +
Greek kyrtos, curved swelling, and podium, foot, probably alluding to conspicuous column foot +
in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. +
Cyrtopodium +
Orchidaceae (tribe Cymbidieae) subtribe Cyrtopodiinae +