Neuwiedia

Neuwiedia
Neuwiedia griffithii, Illustration.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Apostasioideae
Genus:	Neuwiedia Blume, 1833
Species
See text.

Neuwiedia is a genus of primitive orchids (family Orchidaceae), comprising 9 terrestrial species.

The type species is Neuwiedia veratrifolia Blume 1834

The genus is distributed in shaded, damp areas from Malaysia, Borneo, Java to the Philippines, New Guinea and southwest of the Pacific. Like the genus Apostasia of the same subfamily, this genus is noted for having 3 fertile stamens instead of only one as in the case of most orchids. Because of this primitive characteristics, the genus was considered by some as not being true orchids.

The genus was named by Carl Ludwig von Blume in honor of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (1782-1859).

These primitive orchids are hairy, tall herbs without rhizomes. They grow long, plicate leaves. They produce an unbranched, erect, terminal inflorescence bearing usually white or yellow, nodding flowers.

Species

• Neuwiedia annamensis Gagnep. 1933
• Neuwiedia balansae Baill. ex Gagnep. 1933
• Neuwiedia borneensis de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia elongata de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia griffithii Rchb.f. 1874
• Neuwiedia inae de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia siamensis de Vogel 1969
• Neuwiedia veratrifolia Blume 1834
• Neuwiedia zollingeri Rchb.f. 1857
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. javanica (J.J.Sm.) de Vogel 1969
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. singapureana (Wall. ex Baker) de Vogel 1969
  • Neuwiedia zollingeri var. zollingeri

Reference work

• Stern, W. L., V. Cheadle, and J. Thorsch. 1993 - Apostasiads, systematic anatomy, and the origins of Orchidaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 111: 411–45
• A. Kocyan, Y.-L. Qiu1, P. K. Endress, and E. Conti1 - A phylogenetic analysis of Apostasioideae (Orchidaceae) based on ITS, trnL-F and matK sequences; Plant Syst. Evol. (2004)
• Pridgeon, A.M.; Cribb, P.J.; Chase, M.W. & F. N. Rasmussen (1999): Genera Orchidacearum Vol.1, Oxford U. Press. ISBN 0-19-850513-2