Schuitemania Ormerod,
Lindleyana 17 (2002) 228
Sympodial terrestrial plants. Stem elongated, slightly succulent, basal part creeping, forming a rhizome, apical part erect. Leaves few, sheathing at the base, glabrous, persistent, convolute, green, herbaceous. Inflorescence a many-flowered terminal raceme, pubescent. Flowers small, resupinate, not opening widely, white. Sepals free, the laterals conduplicate-tubular. Petals free, about as long as the dorsal sepal, cohering at the apices. Lip spurred, not mobile, 3-lobed, with two fleshy keels in basal part, spur short, bilobed at the apex, inside on each side with a pair of wart-like appendages. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, incompletely known. Stigma 1.
Distribution
The Philippines, endemic. One species [Schuitemania merrillii (Ames) Ormerod].
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Rizal), Mindoro, Negros.
Habitat
Terrestrial in hill and lower montane forest.
Notes
This recently described genus was proposed to accommodate a single species that had been placed in three other genera before (Herpysma, Erythrodes and Kuhlhasseltia), in each of which it appeared ill-placed. Schuitemania may be more nearly related to Moerenhoutia, a genus not known from the Philippines. It differs from Moerenhoutia in the presence of a spur and in the clearly 3-lobed lip. Schuitemania is currently the only endemic orchid genus in the Philippines that is not a member of the subtribe Aeridinae. In general aspect it is similar to Orchipedum, and like this genus it is more of botanical than of horticultural interest.