Tropidia Lindl.,
in Wall, Cat. (1831) n. 7386
Sympodial terrestrial plants with very short subterranean rhizomes. Stem elongated, 2- to many-leaved (a few leafless species occur in Borneo), not fleshy. Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, plicate, persistent, convolute, thin-textured. Inflorescence lateral or terminal, a short, dense raceme. Flowers small, not resupinate, usually whitish. Sepals free, rarely connate. Petals free, intermediate in shape between the dorsal sepal and the lateral sepals. Lip short-spurred or strongly concave at the base, not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present.
Distribution
Central America, Caribbean, tropical continental Asia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Pacific islands, east to Samoa. About 35 species; in New Guinea about 6 species.
Habitat
Terrestrial in lowland and hill forest.
Notes
A distinctive genus of forest-dwelling terrestrial. It is related to Corymborkis, but the flowers differ in the strongly concave or even spurred lip. Very rarely cultivated and with limited horticultural appeal.