Pristiglottis Cretz. & J.J.Sm.,
Acta Fauna Fl. Universali, ser. 2, Bot., 1, 14 (1934) 4
Small sympodial terrestrial plants. Stem elongated, slightly succulent, basal part creeping, forming a rhizome, apical part erect, few-leaved. Leaves distributed along the erect part of the stem or crowded at the stem-apex, spirally arranged, sheathing at the base, glabrous, persistent, convolute, often with wavy margins, usually dark green, sometimes with a whitish mid-vein, herbaceous. Inflorescence a few- to several-flowered terminal raceme. Flowers small (but relatively large for the plant) to medium-sized, resupinate, white, green, or bluish. Sepals connate or not. Petals free, about as long as the dorsal sepal but narrower, more or less falcate. Lip with or usually without spur, not mobile, at the concave base with two warts, with a long tubular median part, which often has toothed or fringed margins; spur, if present, bilobed. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present. Stigma without clearly separated lobes.
Distribution
Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific islands, east to Samoa; about 15 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas, Sorsogon), Camiguin; 2 species.
Habitat
Terrestrial in montane forest, also reported as epiphytic on tree tops, which seems doubtful.
Notes
The flowers of this little known genus are similar to those of Anoectochilus (especially the Odontochilus group), but the stigmatic surface is not divided into two separate lobes. Like Anoectochilus, this is a genus of delicate ground orchids growing in the shade in cool primary forests. Very rarely cultivated.