View source for Microstylis

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Microstylis (Greek, small style). Syn., Achroanthus. Orchidaceae. Mostly terrestrial orchids, sometimes grown under glass, and the hardy kinds perhaps transplanted to the bog-garden; some of the exotic species have colored foliage.

Deciduous, low plants, with fleshy roots, solid bulbs, or some of the kinds with pseudobulbs: lvs. plicate or membranaceous (in some species only 1): fls. mostly small, usually greenish or yellowish but often oddly shaped, in a terminal raceme, spike or umbel, with small and narrow bracts; sepals free, spreading and nearly equal; petals about the length of the sepals but very narrow or even filiform; lip sessile and erect or spreading, shorter than petals but often very broad, entire or fimbriate or 2—3-lobed, cordate or ovate or auricled at base; pollinia 4, in pairs: fr. a small ovoid beakless caps. —Species more than 100, in many parts of the world, largely in the North Temperate Zone and some of them tropical; a few species occur in the U. S. and Canada. None of the species seems to be regularly in the American trade, but a few are offered abroad by orchid specialists.

The species of microstylis are deciduous orchids. They grow well in the warm end of the cattleya department, or better still treated like thunias or calanthes,— a rather warm moist atmosphere when growing in spring, reducing the same toward late summer as they begin to lose their foliage, and eventually resting them quite dry in a temperature of about 60° F. during winter. They will probably suffer in a Wardian case or bell- glass. They certainly will after growth is completed, if not at all times. 

M. calophylla, Reichb. f. 9 in.: fls. yellowish: lvs. ovate, undulate, spotted green, greenish brown in center and the margin gray-green: pseudobulb conical. Malaya.—M. congesta, Reichb. f. (M. Bernaysii. F. Muell. M. fusca, Reichb. f.). One foot: fls. greenish yellow, in a dense cylindrical raceme or spike: lvs. green. Trop. Asia.—M. discolor, Lindl. 9 in.: fls. handsome but very small, yellow, shading to orange, on upright stalks: lvs. red-purple, bordered green. Ceylon. B.M. 5403.—M. Josephiana, Reichb. f. 1 ft.: fls. yellow, rather large, in a raceme: lvs. broad-ovate, bronze, light green below: pseudobulbs oblong. India. B.M. 6325.— 1'. macrochila, Rolfe. 15 in.: fls. rather large, the sepals and petals yellow and lip red-purple and veined: lvs. mottled with light brown and cream. Farther India.—M. metallica, Reichb. f. 9 in.: fls. rose-purple, with sepals marked yellow: lvs. oblong, acute, dark glossy purple with metallic sheen, light rose underneath: pseudobulbs cylindrical. Borneo.—M. philippinensis, Kranzl. Fls. yellow or purplish, sometimes as many as 100 in a spike 8 in. or more long: lip orbicular, deeply cordate at base: lvs. broad- oblong, somewhat undulate, bright green. Philippines.—M. purpurea, Lindl. 9 in: fls. yellow-purple: lvs. dark metallic crimson above and red-gray beneath. Ceylon.—M. Scottii, Hook. f. 6 in.: fls. yellow: lvs. light green and cream-colored, on the margin and along the rib mottled light brown. Farther India. B.M. 7268.—M. Wallichii, Lindl. (M. biloba, Lindl.). 9 in.: fls. green- yellow to purplish: lvs. green, more or less shaded purple. Burma.
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