Brachypeza Garay,
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23 (1972) 163
Monopodial epiphytes. Stem very short. Leaves few, sheathing at the base, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence a lateral raceme with swollen rachis. Flowers appearing in succession, small to medium-sized, ephemeral, resupinate. Sepals free. Petals free, similar to the dorsal sepal. Lip spurred, hinged to the column. Column-foot very short. Pollinia 2, cleft, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.
Distribution
Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea; about 7 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Bohol, Mindanao (Zamboanga); 1 species [Brachypeza zamboangensis (Ames) Garay].
Habitat
Epiphytes in lowland forest.
Notes
Plants of Brachypeza look superficially like a Phalaenopsis, but with thinner, terete roots, not flattened as in Phalaenopsis. The small flowers are very different, being more similar to those of Pteroceras. The lip consists almost entirely of the spur and is highly mobile, being hinged to the relatively very short column-foot. Pteroceras has a long column-foot. Uncommon in cultivation.