Microtatorchis Schltr.,
in K.Schum. & Lauterb. Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 224
Monopodial epiphytic or terrestrial plants. Stem short. Leaves absent or few, sheathing at the base, glabrous, dorso-ventrally flattened, articulate, duplicate, thin-textured but rather stiff. Inflorescence lateral, a raceme. Flowers very small, resupinate, greenish or yellowish. Sepals and petals mutually connate, with more or less triangular free apices. Lip adnate to the column, spurred, not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, solid-waxy, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.
Distribution
Malesia, east to Samoa; about 40 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Benguet), Negros; 2 species.
Habitat
Epiphytes in montane forest.
Notes
Evidently closely related to Taeniophyllum, which has almost identical flowers in some species, except that Taeniophyllum has 4 pollinia while Microtatorchis has 2 pollinia. Unlike Taeniophyllum, plants of Microtatorchis normally produce a few leaves, which may be short-lived, however. The inflorescence is often flattened, while the bracts may have short lateral processes, resembling stipulae. This genus is strictly of botanical interest only.