Devogelia Schuit.,
Blumea 49 (2004) 362
Sympodial terrestrial plants with creeping rhizome. Pseudobulbs relatively short, consisting of a few internodes, enveloped by very much longer cataphylls, 1- or 2-leaved at the apex. Leaves long petiolate, plicate, inarticulate, not sheathing at the base (convolute or conduplicate?). Inflorescence single, terminal, erect, very tall, hysteranthous, glabrous, a c. 10-flowered raceme, with distant, tubular peduncle-scales. Floral bracts short, persistent. Flowers opening in succession or a few at a time. Sepals and petals green, lip whitish or yellowish with brown markings. Sepals free, glabrous. Petals free. Lip not spurred, immobile, 3-lobed, densely covered with subulate hairs in the basal part. Column almost straight, elongated, without stelidia, column-foot present, very short. Pollinia 4, solid, without appendages.
Distribution
Moluccas (Obi island), New Guinea (Indonesian Papua: Bird's head Peninsula); one species [Devogelia intonsa Schuit.].
Habitat
Terrestrial in lower montane oak forest forest, locally gregarious.
Notes
The only known species of this recently discovered genus is a tall but unshowy plant with relatively small green and white flowers with brown markings on the lip. The general habit is reminiscent of Plocoglottis and Tainia, although the very long cataphylls and the terminal inflorescences are different. The shape of the lip is paralleled in Calanthe, Claderia, and Eulophia, among others, the column is of relatively simple structure, and the four separate pollinia without caudicles or stipe occur also in Liparis and other genera. The combination of characters, however, is unique: as if parts of distantly related orchids have been welded together. Consequently, it is difficult to pinpoint the nearest relatives of Devogelia. Apart from the fact that it is obviously a member of the subfamily Epidendroideae little else can be said with any confidence at present.