Cryptostylis species
The genus Cryptostylis was created by Robert Brown, in 1810. The name was published in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae (A Preliminary Flora of New Holland.) Members of this primarily terrestrial genus are found in northern India, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, throughout Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines, Taiwan, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and many of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. They grow from sea level to about 1,200 meters elevation, in habitats which can be deeply shaded to almost full sun. Usually the plants form small colonies. There are about 25 members in the genus. The Philippines has at least 5 species, none of which are endemic.
The foliage of the plants, certainly in some species, is most attractive, with the upper surface of the leaves being glossy and beautifully marked with blotches of a deeper color; there are also species whose leaves are plain green. The inflorescence is upright and bears numerous medium-sized blooms, which are non-resupinate (labellum uppermost). The sepals and petals appear to be very narrow but this is because of the curling along the length of the segment. The labellum is large and beautifully colored. Many of the flowers of members of the genus Cryptostylis resemble female wasps, and the males of these insects are the pollinators. The flowers emit a faint perfume, most similar to that of a female wasp, to ensure pollination.
Cryptostylis acutata has also been found on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, and Borneo. It has recently been recorded from the Philippines, and has been found in the provinces of Aurora, and Ifugao on Luzon; and in the province of Davao Oriental on Mindanao, where it grows at elevations of over 1,300 meters.
Cryptostylis arachnites is a widely spread species which has been re- corded from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, throughout Indonesia, Borneo, to the islands of the Pacific Ocean. In the Philippines, it has been found in the provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal and Sorsogon on Luzon; the islands of Camiguin, Mindoro, and Polillo; Leyte and Negros in the Visayas; and the province of Davao on Mindanao. It is usually found at elevations of up to 1,000 meters.
Cryptostylis carinata is also known from New Guinea. In the Philippines, it has been found in the mountains of northern Mindoro; the island of Panay in the Visayan Sea; and the southwestern island of Palawan. It grows as a terrestrial, on or near rotting logs at elevations between 600 and 1,000 meters above sea level. This species is a recent addition to the orchid flora of the Philippines. There are a couple of color variations in the color of the labellum: One of which is greyish, and another which has shades of red. This is one of the most beautiful species in the genus.
Cryptostylis taiwaniana, as the specific epithet alludes to, is also found on the island of Taiwan. In the Philippines, it has been recorded from the province of Quezon on Luzon; the island of Mindoro, and the Visayan island of Samar, where it grows in shaded localities at elevations of around 600 meters.
This genus, and some of its species, are a good example of why some plant enthusiasts are drawn into collecting them; purely because of the fantastic leaf patterns, and the flowers win the “second” prize so to speak. In the wild, those species and particularly the leaves can hardly be missed, while standing out from a usual brownish leaf litter background.