Trichotosia Blume,
Bijdr. (1825) 342
Sympodial epiphytes, occasionally terrestrial in open shrubby vegetation, with very short, rarely elongated rhizomes. Stem usually much elongated, rarely short, not fleshy. Leaves usually many, rarely few, sheathing at the base, distichous, hairy at least on the sheaths, deciduous, duplicate, thin-leathery. Inflorescence lateral, a few to several-flowered raceme. Flowers small to medium-sized, resupinate. Sepals free, hairy outside. Petals free, almost always much narrower than the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile. Column-foot present. Pollinia 8, solid, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium absent.
Distribution
Nepal, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific islands, east to Vanuatu; about 50 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Mt. Province, Pampanga, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Sorsogon), Mindoro, Sibuyan, Negros, Bohol, Leyte, Camiguin, Mindanao (Zamboanga, Lanao, Cotabato, Surigao), Basilan; 8 species.
Habitat
Epiphytes in lowland and montane forest, sometimes terrestrial in open shrubby vegetation.
Notes
Trichotosia is closely related to Eria, from which it is mainly distinguished by the leaves (especially the sheaths) being densely covered with yellow or red-brown hairs. Some species of Dendrobium also have hairy leaf-sheaths, but in these the hairs are blackish or white, never red-brown or yellow as in Trichotosia. Trichotosia is not often cultivated, as most species have inconspicuous, creamy white or brownish flowers.