Tainia Blume,
Bijdr. (1825) 354
Sympodial terrestrial plants with short to rather long rhizomes. Pseudobulbs consisting of one or a few internodes, one-leaved. Leaves not sheathing at the base, glabrous, plicate, not deciduous, often with a long petiole, convolute, thin-textured. Inflorescence arising on a specialized leafless shoot (heteranthous), or lateral from the base of the pseudobulb, a few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers small to rather large, resupinate. Sepals free. Petals free, fairly similar to the sepals. Lip without or with a short spur, not mobile. Column-foot very short to rather long. Pollinia 8, solid, caudicles present, stipe and viscidium absent.
Distribution
Sri Lanka, tropical continental Asia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands. About 24 species; in New Guinea three species.
Habitat
Terrestrial or epiphytic in lowland and montane forest.
Notes
Members of this mainly terrestrial genus combine the habit of Chrysoglossum with the floral aspect of Eulophia; from both they differ in having 8 pollinia. Tainia differs from the related genus Mischobulbum in the petiolate leaves that are not cordate. Not often cultivated.