Ludisia

Ludisia (Lus.[2]) is a genus of orchids that contains just one species, Ludisia discolor, commonly referred to as jewel orchid. They are native to Southern China, Northeast India, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma,[3] and often cultivated.

Ludisia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Subtribe: Goodyerinae
Genus: Ludisia
A.Rich.
Species:
L. discolor
Binomial name
Ludisia discolor
Synonyms[1]
  • Anoectochilus dawsonianus H.Low ex Rchb.f.
  • Anoectochilus ordeanus Jennings
  • Dicrophyla elegans Raf., [nom. illeg.]
  • Gonogona discolor (Ker Gawl.) Link
  • Goodyera discolor Ker Gawl.
  • Goodyera ordeana (Jennings) Boxall ex Náves
  • Goodyera ordiana B.S.Williams
  • Goodyera rodigasciana L.Linden
  • Goodyera rubrovenia B.S.Williams
  • Haemaria dawsoniana (H.Low ex Rchb.f.) Hasselb.
  • Haemaria dawsoniana (H.Low ex Rchb. f.) Hook. f.
  • Haemaria discolor (Ker Gawl.) Lindl.
  • Haemaria otletae Rolfe
  • Haemaria pauciflora Gagnep.
  • Haemaria rubrovenia (B.S.Williams) Rchb.f. ex Stein
  • Kuhlhasseltia carrii Holttum
  • Ludisia dawsoniana (H.Low ex Rchb.f.) Aver.
  • Ludisia discolor (Ker Gawl.) Blume
  • Ludisia furetii Blume
  • Ludisia odorata Blume
  • Ludisia otletae (Rolfe) Aver.
  • Myoda rufescens Lindl.
  • Neottia discolor (Ker Gawl.) Steud.
  • Orchiodes discolor (Ker Gawl.) Kuntze

Description

They are terrestrial orchids that in their natural setting would be found growing on the forest floor. They are known for their foliage, which is often velvety deep maroon with red veins that run parallel to the centre of the leaf.

Flowers are white with twisting yellow columns. Individual flowers are small but grow in clusters on upright stalks. Flowers in cultivation last a month or more.[4]

Cultivation

They need high humidity and warm temperatures with low to medium light, and they tolerate extremely low light levels.

Cultivars

Ludisia discolor has two notable cultivars:

  • L. discolor 'Alba', an albino variant, and
  • L. discolor 'Nigrescens', a mutation often referred to as "black velvet".

Hybrids

Hybrids of Ludisia with other orchid genera are placed in the following nothogenera:

Note that these hybrids are with other genera in the subtribe Goodyerinae, all commonly referred to as jewel orchids.

(The given references are to registered primary hybrids within each given nothogenus.)

References
  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
  2. Alphabetical List of Standard Abbreviations for Natural and Hybrid Generic Names, Royal Horticultural Society, https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-registration-forms/orchid-name-abbreviations-list.pdf
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. Flora of China v 25 p 55, 血叶兰 xue ye lan, Ludisia discolor (Ker Gawler) Blume, Coll. Orchid. 113. 1859.
  5. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/orchidregister/orchiddetails.asp?ID=2833
  6. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/orchidregister/orchiddetails.asp?ID=135758
  7. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/orchidregister/orchiddetails.asp?ID=166415
  8. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/orchidregister/orchiddetails.asp?ID=157988
  • Media related to Ludisia at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Ludisia at Wikispecies


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