Herminium L.,
Op. Var. (1758) 251
Sympodial terrestrial plants with a subterranean tuber. Stem short, few-leaved. Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, persistent, convolute, herbaceous. Inflorescence terminal, a many-flowered raceme. Flowers very small, resupinate, whitish or yellowish green. Sepals free. Petals free, narrower than the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile, 3-lobed at the apex. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present.
Distribution
temperate Eurasia, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea. About 30 species; in New Guinea one, non-endemic, species [Herminium lanceum (Thunb. ex Sw.) Vuijk] .
Habitat
Terrestrial in open montane forest.
Notes
A genus of very insignificant terrestrial orchids, similar to Peristylus, but the lip lacks a spur.