Appendicula Blume,
Bijdr. (1825) 297
Sympodial epiphytic or occasionally terrestrial plants without or with very short rhizomes. Stem slender, elongated, sometimes branching, not or slightly fleshy, with many closely spaced leaves in two rows. Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, thin-textured or sometimes more fleshy. Inflorescence lateral or terminal, a raceme, a panicle or carrying a single flower. Flowers small to very small, resupinate. Lateral sepals more or less connate, forming a mentum. Petals free, about as long as and often fairly similar to the dorsal sepal. Lip without spur, not mobile, often with a backwards projecting appendage. Column-foot present. Pollinia 6, solid, seemingly with two caudicles, but these are in fact modified, sterile pollinia; stipe absent, viscidium present.
Distribution
Tropical continental Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific islands, east to Tonga; about 90 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Batan, Luzon (Abra, Kalinga-Apayao, Mt. Province, Benguet, Bataan, Pampanga, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon), Catanduanes, Polillo, Mindoro, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Camiguin, Mindanao (Zamboanga, Lanao, Misamis, Bukidnon, Surigao, Agusan, Cotabato), Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi; 25 species.
Habitat
Usually on tree trunks and thick branches in lowland and montane forest, often growing in shady positions.
Notes
A genus of almost fern-like plants, due to the regular foliage evenly distributed along slender stems. The very inconspicuous flowers have a prominent 'chin' (mentum), and six pollinia, which is unique among Asian orchids. Not often cultivated.