Microtatorchis Schltr.,
in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 224
Monopodial epiphytic or terrestrial plants. Stem short. Leaves absent or few, sheathing at the base, glabrous, dorso-ventrally flattened, articulate, duplicate, thin-textured but rather stiff. Inflorescence lateral, a raceme, sometimes with a flattened rachis. Floral bracts often with basal appendages. Flowers very small, resupinate, greenish or yellowish. Sepals and petals mutually connate, with more or less triangular free apices. Lip adnate to the column, spurred, not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, solid-waxy, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.
Distribution
Malesia, east to Samoa. About 40 species; in New Guinea c. 35 species.
Habitat
Epiphytes in lowland and montane forest. Also terrestrial in open subalpine vegetation.
Notes
Microtatorchis is an interesting genus of very inconspicuous, often leafless orchids, undoubtedly related to Taeniophyllum, in particular to the species in the affinity of Taeniophyllum glandulosum Blume. The only character state that consistently separates the two genera is found in the two pollinia present in Microtatorchis as opposed to four in Taeniophyllum. But most species of Microtatorchis can easily be recognised by the inflorescences with an elongated rachis and the unusual floral bracts. Based on these bracts a subdivision in two sections was proposed by Schlechter (who else?):
1a. Floral bracts at the base without lateral projections ... sect. Microtatorchis
1b. Floral bracts at the base with a lateral projection on each side ... sect. Geissanthera
Species included on this CD-ROM:
Microtatorchis acuminata
Microtatorchis alata
Microtatorchis brachyceras
Microtatorchis bracteata
Microtatorchis bryoides
Microtatorchis carinata
Microtatorchis ceratostylis
Microtatorchis chaetophora
Microtatorchis clavicalcarata
Microtatorchis collina
Microtatorchis doctersii
Microtatorchis erosula
Microtatorchis finisterrae
Microtatorchis flaccida
Microtatorchis flava
Microtatorchis govidjoae
Microtatorchis javanica
Microtatorchis lamii
Microtatorchis laxa
Microtatorchis multiflora
Microtatorchis muriculata
Microtatorchis musciformis
Microtatorchis papuana
Microtatorchis perpusilla
Microtatorchis platyrhachis
Microtatorchis podochiloides
Microtatorchis potamophila
Microtatorchis pterophora
Microtatorchis rhomboglossa
Microtatorchis terrestris
Microtatorchis torricellensis
Microtatorchis triangulipetala
Microtatorchis triloba
Microtatorchis tubulosa