Chiloschista Explained

Chiloschista, commonly known as starfish orchids^[1] and abbreviated Chsch.,^[2] is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Description

Orchids in the genus Chiloschista are epiphytic or lithophytic, usually leafless monopodial herbs with flat, green, photosynthetic roots radiating from a short, central rhizome. The flowers are arranged on long, thin flowering stems, open sporadically in groups and only last for a few hours to one or two days. They are small and resupinate, with the sepals and petals more or less similar in size and shape to each other but different from the labellum which has three lobes. The side lobes of the labellum are erect and larger than the middle lobe which is slipper-shaped.^{[3] [4]}

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Chiloschista was first described in 1832 by John Lindley in Edwards's Botanical Register.^[5] The name Chiloschista is derived from the Ancient Greek words meaning "lip" or "rim"^[6] and meaning "split" or "divided".

Twenty species of Chiloschista are recognised by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as at December 2018:

• Chiloschista extinctoriformis Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 178 (1988)
• Chiloschista exuperei (Guillaumin) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 166 (1972)
• Chiloschista fasciata (F.Muell.) Seidenf. & Ormerod, Opera Bot. 124: 64 (1995)
• Chiloschista glandulosa Blatt. & McCann, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 488 (1932)
• Chiloschista godefroyana (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4: 275 (1919)
• Chiloschista guangdongensis Z.H.Tsi, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 481 (1984)
• Chiloschista loheri Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 491 (1921)
• Chiloschista lunifera (Rchb.f.) J.J.Sm., Orch. Java: 553 (1905)
• Chiloschista parishii Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 176 (1988)
• Chiloschista phyllorhiza (F.Muell.) Schltr. – white starfish orchid, Australia
• Chiloschista ramifera Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 179 (1988)
• Chiloschista rodriguezii Cavestro & Ormerod, Orchidophile (Asnières) 166: 180 (2005)
• Chiloschista segawae (Masam.) Masam. & Fukuy., Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 52: 247 (1938)
• Chiloschista sweelimii Holttum, Orchid Rev. 74: 147 (1966)
• Chiloschista taeniophyllum (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 492 (1921)
• Chiloschista treubii (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56: 492 (1921)
• Chiloschista trudelii Seidenf., Orchidee (Hamburg) 38: 310 (1987)
• Chiloschista usneoides (D.Don) Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 18: t. 1522 (1832)
• Chiloschista viridiflava Seidenf., Opera Bot. 95: 175 (1988)
• Chiloschista yunnanensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4: 74 (1919)

Notes and References

1. Book: Jones. David L.. A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. 2006. New Holland. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.. 1877069124. 434–435.
2. Web site: Alphabetical list of standard abbreviations of all generic names occurring in current use in orchid hybrid registration as at 31st December 2007. Royal Horticultural Society.
3. Web site: Chen . Xinqi . Wood . Jeffrey J. . Chiloschista . Flora of China . 24 December 2018.
4. Web site: D.L.Jones . T.Hopley . S.M.Duffy . David L. Jones (botanist) . 2010 . 28 May 2021 . Chiloschista . . Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government.
5. Lindley . John . Chiloschista . Edwards's Botanical Register . 1832 . 18 . t1522 . 24 December 2018.
6. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C..