Tropidia Lindl.,
in Wall., Cat. (1831) n. 7386
Sympodial terrestrial plants with very short rhizomes. Stem elongated, 2- to many-leaved [a few leafless species occur in Borneo], not fleshy. Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, plicate, persistent, convolute, thin-textured. Inflorescence lateral or terminal, a short, dense raceme. Flowers small, not resupinate, usually whitish. Sepals free, rarely connate. Petals free, intermediate in shape between the dorsal sepal and the lateral sepals. Lip short-spurred or strongly concave at the base, not mobile. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 2, sectile, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium present.
Distribution
Central America, Caribbean, tropical continental Asia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Pacific islands, east to Samoa; about 35 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bataan, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas), Mindoro, Leyte, Mindanao (Zamboanga, Davao); 4 species.
Habitat
Terrestrial in lowland and hill forest.
Notes
Tropidia is a genus of plicate-leaved terrestrial orchids with rather small whitish flowers. It is related to Corymborkis, but is distinguished by having a strongly concave or spurred lip. Tropidia is very rarely cultivated and probably not easy to grow.