Corymborkis Thouars

Abstract

Corymborkis is a small genus of evergreen, terrestrial orchids with eight species distributed widely from Africa and tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia and the Pacific Islands, occurring from sea level to 2000 m. Rhizome is short. Stems are single or multiple, close to one another, tall, unbranched, reed-like, with numerous distichous, elliptic to lanceolate, plicate, thin but tough, sessile leaves that ensheath the stem at their base. Inflorescence is axillary, short and few to densely many flowered. Flowers are white or yellow, with spreading narrow sepals and petals. Lip is entire, the proximal half rolled into a tube that embraces the column, the distal half expanded, cordate acute and erose at the margin. Plants are rarely seen in collections. Corymborkis was named for the clustered appearance of the inflorescence in some species, Greek korybos (cluster, bouquet) and orchis (orchid).