Acriopsis Explained

Acriopsis, commonly known as chandelier orchids or 合萼兰属 (he e lan shu)^[1] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceaes. Orchids in this genus are epiphytic herbs with spherical or cylindrical pseudobulbs, creeping, branched rhizomes, thin white roots, two or three leaves and many small flowers. The flowers are non-resupinate with the lateral sepals joined along their edges and have spreading petals and a three-lobed labellum. The column has projections that extend hood-like beyond the anther.

The genus was first formally described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume who published the description in Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië.^[2] The name Acriopsis is derived from the Ancient Greek words akris meaning "locust" or "grasshopper"^[3] and opsis, meaning "having the appearance of" or "like", referring to the grasshopper-like shape of the column."

Orchids in the genus Acriopsis are found in India, Yunnan, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Queensland. They grow mainly in low, humid rainforests, sometimes ascending to medium altitudes. Their roots have specialised roots which grow from them up through the air and make branches which feed on litter and other debris.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Species

The following is a list of Acriopsis species accepted by the Plants of the World Online as at April 2023:^[7]

• Acriopsis carrii Holttum - Kelantan
• Acriopsis densiflora Lindl.
  • Acriopsis densiflora var. borneensis (Ridl.) Minderh. & de Vogel - Borneo
  • Acriopsis densiflora var. densiflora - Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
• Acriopsis emarginata D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. - Queensland
• Acriopsis floribunda Ames
• Acriopsis gracilis Minderh. & de Vogel - Sabah
• Acriopsis indica C.Wright - Yunnan, Assam, Andaman Islands, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaysia, Philippines, Sulawesi
• Acriopsis inopinata Phoon & P.O'Byrne - Peninsular Malaysia
• Acriopsis latifolia Rolfe - Peninsular Malaysia
• Acriopsis liliifolia (J.Koenig) Seidenf.
  • Acriopsis liliifolia var. auriculata (Minderh. & de Vogel) J.J.Wood - Myanmar, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
  • Acriopsis liliifolia var. liliifolia - Assam, Sikkim, Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Malaysia, Maluku, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Queensland, Caroline Islands
• Acriopsis ridleyi Hook.f. - Borneo, Malaysia

Acriopsis javanica is listed as a synonym of Acriopsis liliifolia var. lillifolia at Plants of the World Online,^[8] but is accepted by the Australian Plant Census.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Chen . Xinqi . Wood . Jeffrey James . Acriopsis . Flora of China . 9 January 2019.
2. Book: Blume . Carl Ludwig . Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië (Part 7) . 1825 . Batavia . 376–377 . 6 January 2019.
3. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C..
4. Jones, David L. (2006). A Complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia including the Island Territories. New Holland Publishers, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. 2086, Australia. .
5. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/orchidkey/html/genera/Acriopsis.htm Acriopsis, Australian Orchid Names
6. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=2420 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
7. Web site: Acriopsis . Plants of the World Online . 6 April 2023.
8. Web site: Acriopsis javanica . Plants of the World Online . 6 April 2023.
9. Web site: Acriopsis javanica . Australian Plant Census . 29 July 2020.