Pteroceras muriculatum
Pteroceras muriculatum (Rchb.f.) P.F.Hunt
Pteroceras muriculatum is an orchid species in the family Orchidaceae, native to the Andaman Islands. First described in 1881 as Thrixspermum muriculatum by Rchb.f., it was not recorded again until 1993 during a survey in the South Andaman Islands. The species is characterized by small, creamy white flowers with transverse purple bands on the petals. It is an epiphytic orchid found in semi-evergreen forests.
Description
Pteroceras muriculatum is an endemic orchid species of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Initially described by Reichenbach in 1881, the species was based on specimens collected by W. Bull in the 19th century. It remained unreported until rediscovered in 1993 in the Chidiyatappu region of South Andaman during a floristic survey. The orchid is epiphytic and grows in semi-evergreen forest habitats. Its flowers are creamy white with distinct transverse purple bands on the petals. A living specimen from the South Andaman Island is preserved at the Field Gene Bank of the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute in Trivandrum, India.
Distribution
Andaman Is.
Synonyms
Sarcochilus muriculatusThrixspermum muriculatumGrosourdya muriculata