Robiquetia Gaudich.,
in Freyc., Voy. Bot. (1826) 426, t. 34
Monopodial epiphytes. Stem elongated. Leaves few to many, distichous, sheathing at the base, spreading in one plane, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence lateral, a dense, many-flowered raceme, rarely branched, usually pendulous. Flowers small, resupinate. Sepals free. Petals free, somewhat smaller than the sepals. Lip adnate to the column, spurred, the spur inside with or without callosities, often abruptly swollen near the apex. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, cleft, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, longer than pollinia, viscidium present.
Distribution
Sri Lanka, tropical continental Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Pacific islands, east to Tonga; about 40 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Mt. Province, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Bataan, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines, Sorsogon, Albay), Catanduanes, Polillo, Panay, Mindoro, Negros, Leyte, Samar, Mindanao (Zamboanga, Lanao, Misamis, Bukidnon, Surigao, Agusan, Davao); 6 species.
Habitat
Epiphytes in lowland and hill forest.
Notes
There are few, if any, characters which consistently separate Robiquetia from Malleola, although most species can be assigned to the proper genus with relative ease. Both genera have dense, pendulous racemes of small, spurred flowers. Robiquetia is much more diverse in the shape and coloration of the flowers. Occasionally cultivated.