294. EULOPHIA PULCHRA 0 rchidaceae

Sarah Thomas

Summary. The history, taxonomy, distribution, habitat and cultivation of thc widespread Eulophia pulchra (Orchidaceae) is discussed and a full description of the species is provided.

The genus Eulophia was founded by Robert Brown in 1822 when he described E. guineensis from Africa; as it now stands it contains almost 300 species of sympodial, mostly terrestrial plants found throughout the tropics. Considerable diversity can be seen in those already illustrated in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. The latest to be depicted, E. pulchra (Thouars) Lindl., ranges from Madagascar through Sri Lanka to India, South-east Asia, New Guinea, the Pacific Islands and Australia; however, the only form ’ known to occur in Australia is a self-pollinating peloric form with all the tepals similar and more or less elliptical.

Casting one’s eyes towards the end of this account reveals a long list of synonyms associated with this species. This is not uncommon for a plant with such a wide distribution, and the situation is compounded by nomenclatural rules and priorities. Indeed, the generic position of this plant is in considerable doubt. It was first described in 1822 by Du Petit-Thouars as Limodorum pulchrum. Lindley (1833) placed it in Eulophia, while Kuntz (1891) transferred it to Graphorkis, although the latter was not widely accepted; more recently, Clements & Cribb (1989) placed it in Oeceoclades. The circumscription of Eulophia and allied genera, including Oeceoclades, is much in need of re- vision. In particular, the delimitation of Oeceoclades from Eulophia used by Garay and Taylor (1976), which is based on the presence of one-noded pseudobulbs and conduplicate leaves, seems arbitrary. Certainly, in floral morphology E. pulchra closely resembles many species placed by Garay and Taylor in Oeceoclades but it has multi-noded pseudobulbs and pleated leaves like Eulophia. Eulophia pulchra is not alone amongst Madagascan orchids of the Eulophia alliance in being anomalous in its generic characteristics. Until the Madagascan species of Eulophia, Oeceoclades and Graphorkis are revised, I prefer to retain the species in Eulophia because the name is well established and vegetatively it agrees well with species such as E. euglossa and

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Plate 294

E. gracilis. Other names in recent use include Oeceoclades pulchra and Eulophidium pulchrum.

The painting reproduced here is of a Madagascan specimen collected in 1989 by David Du Puy, one of Kew’s research fellows currently working on the Madagascan flora. The species has been featured previously in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine in 1876 under the name Eulophia macrostachya Lindl. (Tab. 626), yet another ofits many synonyms. This was painted by Walter Hood Fitch, based on a plant from Sri Lanka and described by J.D. Hooker as ‘a very graceful orchid’. Although far from showy it is indeed graceful and the flowers interesting; from basal clusters of cigar-shaped pseudobulbs it produces plicate leaves and erect inflorescences carrying around 10 flowers, these opening in succession from the base upwards. The petals, sepals and spur are apple-green, veined with maroon, the lip is pale yellow, also with maroon veins, and there is a bright orange spot at the point of divergence of the lobes.

CULTIVATION. Eulophia pulchra is generally found only in botanical gardens or highly specialized collections. However it is, by all accounts, an easily cultivated species; in fact, Lindley described it as one of the easiest-grown of orchids, flowering late in the year and producing fresh flowers until Christmas. The wife ofthe recent Dutch Ambassador in Dar Es Salaam is reported to have grown it successfully on her windowsill. Eulophia species require intermediate to warm conditions and can be grown at 2>28”C the whole year round. Clay pots should be avoided as they tend to dry too quickly and accumulate salts, so plastic pots are recommended. These plants are intolerant to repotting so it is best to over-pot, even ifthe plant has only a few roots. Ifthe pseudobulbs become overcrowded and compressed they will rot quickly. When the plants are growing actively watering should be regular, but when the pseudobulbs stop growing it is important to cease watering and allow them a rest period, which may last for up to one year. The quality of the water is often important, some species being intolerant of salts and chlorine. A potting mix of perlite, coconut fibre and medium grade bark, topped with sphagnum moss has been reported to work well. For propagation purposes, single pseudobulb divisions give the best results.

Eulophiapulchra (Thouars) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orch. pl. 182 (1833). Type: ‘Mauritius’, du Petit Thouars s.n. (holotype P). Limodorumpulchrum Thouars, Orch. Illes Aust. Afr. t.43-44 (1822).

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Eulophia mascroostachya Lindl., Gen. Sp. PI. 182 (1833). Type: ‘Ceylon’, 1829,

Eulophia emarginata Blume, Orch. Archip. Ind. & Jap. 180 (1858). Type:

Graphorkispulchra (Thouars) Kuntz, Revis. Gen. pl. 662 (1891). Graphorkis macrostachya (Lindl.) Kuntz, Revis. Gen. pl. 663 (1891). Eulophiu striata Rolfe in J. Proc. Linn. SOC., Bot. 29: 53 (1891). Type:

‘Madagascar, on the ground near Fort Dauphin’, [Anon.] 2545 (holo-

MacRae 27 (holotype K, L).

‘specimine Sumatrano’, Blume (holotype ?BO).

type K). Graphorkis blumeana Kuntz, Revis. Gen. pl. 633 (1891), nom. Eulophiu papuana Bailey in Queensland Agric. J: 274 (1907), non (Ridley)

J.J. Sm. (1909). Type: ‘Ambasi, Brit. New Guinea’, 3 Oct. 1907, Gopeland King 3 (holotype BRI) .

Eulophiu rouxii Kraenzl. in Sar. & Rouxs, Nova Caled. 1: 82 (1914). Type: New Caledonia, Roux C 16 (holotype 1).

Eulophiu silvaticu Schltr. in E. J. 53: 586 (1915). Type: Tanzania, Rungwe District, Mulayala, Stolz 1910 (holotype B, record ofholotype K).

Lissochiluspulcher (Thouars) H. Perrier, F1. Madag. Orch. 2: 41 (1941), non Schltr.

Eulophidiumpulchrum (Thouars) Summerh. in Bull. Bot. Jard. Bruxelles 27: 400 (1957).

Eulophidium silvaticum (Schltr.) Summerh. in Bull. Bot. Jard. Bruxelles 27: 402 (1957).

Oeceodadespulchra (Thouars) Cribb & M. Clements in Austral. Orch. Res., 1,99: (1989). DESCRIPTION. Terrestrial herb 60-70 cm tall. Perennating organs pseudobulb-

ous, erect, approximate, cyclindrical, 10-14 cm long, 1-1.2 cm diam., green; rhizome 5-1 1 mm diam., short; roots 3-4.5 rnm diam., white. Leaves 2-4, erect, plicate, lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute, 30-80 cm long, 1.9- 9 cm wide, long-petiolate. Zntrescence densely many-flowered; peduncle 4- 5 mm in diam., bearing 6 sheaths along length; rhachis 6-10.5 cm long; bracts linear, acuminate, 10-26 mm long. Homers yellow or pale green marked with purple on the side lobes of lip and with an orange callus; pediccl and ovary 13-21 mrn long. Dorsal sepal narrowly oblong-elliptic, apiculate, 12-15 mm long. Lateral sepals similar but falcate. Petals obovate-oblong, apiculate to subacute, 11-13 mm long, 4.5-6 mm wide. Lip 3-lobed but appearing 4- lobed when flattened, 7 mm long, 18 mm wide; side lobes large, rounded; mid-lobe transversely oblong, apiculate, strongly recurved; callus of 2 fleshy lobes at mouth of spur; spur globose, 3-4 mm long. Column 5 mm long, deflexed at apex.

DISTRIBUTION. Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, Borneo, Pacific Islands, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia.

HABITAT. In deep or light shade in riverine Sorest, montane rain-forest or hill forest, sea level-1400 m.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Thanks go to Phillip Cribb and David Du Puy for their comments and advice.

Eulophia pulchra. A, lip, X 3; B, column with anther cap, spur and basal callus, X 4; C, dorsal sepal, X 4; D, lateral sepal, X 4; E, petal, X 4; F, column with anther cap, front view, X 6; G, pollinariurn, X 10; H, anther cap with pollinia, X 10; I, habit, X %I. Drawn by Mark Fothergill.

REFERENCES

Clements, M.A. (1 989). Catalogue of Australian Orchidaceae. Australian

Cribb, P. (1989). Orchidaceae, Part 3. Flora of Tropical East Africa.

Dockrill, A.W. (1992). Australian Indigenous Orchids. Surrey Beaty & Sons,

Garreau de Loubresse, x. (1992). Les Oeceoclades (Madagascar, Com-

Hooker, J.D. (1876)- Eulophia macrostachya. Curtis’s Botanical Magatine

Orchid Research 1. Australian Orchid Foundation, Victoria.

A,A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

New South Wales.

ores, La Reunion). L’Orchidophile 101: 69-72.

102: t.626.

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