Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl. 1857 Photo courtesy of David Kuehn

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Common Name The Rose Epipogium in Australia - The Ghost Orchid or The Leafless Nodding Orchid

Flower Size about 1" [about 2.5 cm]

This is a medium sized, warm growing, saphrophytic, terrestrial species from Ghana, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Island, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Malawi, eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, lower India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, western Himalayas, Myanamar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Malaysia, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, the Philippines, Sumatra, Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Queensland and New South Wales Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu in broadleafed, evergreen, humid, primary forests at elevations of 100 to 2000 meters as a small to large sized, hot to cool growing, erect, leafless, saprophytic terrestrial orchid with an ovoid, horizontal tuber giving rise to an erect, 2' tall, hollow, fleshy stem that is basally brownish and becoming nearly white towards the apex and carrying a few distant bracts that blooms on an erect, to 2' 10" [80 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence arising in the spring and summer.

Synonyms Ceratopsis rosea Lindl. 1840; Epipogium africanus Schltr. 1911; Epipogium dentilabellum Ohtani & S.Suzuki 1961; Epipogium guilfoylei FvM. 1872; Epipogium kassnerianum Kraenzl. 1914; Epipogium kusukusense (Hayata) Schltr. 1919; Epipogon makinoanus Schltr. 1919; Epipogium nutans Rchb.f 1857; Epipogium nutans var celebicus Schltr. 1911; Epipogium pooneranthum Fukuy. 1942; Epipogium rolfei (Hayata) Schltr. 1911; Epipogium sessanum S.N.Hegde & A.N.Rao 1982; Epipogium sinicum C.L.Tso 1933; Epipogium tuberosum Duthie 1906; Galera kusukusensis Hayata 1914; Galera nutans Bl. 1825; Galera rolfei Hayata 1911; Galera rosea Blume 1856; Gastrodia schinziana Kraenzl. 1929; *Limodorum roseum D. Don 1825; Stereosandra schinziana (Kraenzl.) Garay 1954

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Smith 1905 as Epipogum nutans; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/1985 as Epipogium nutans Rchb.f 1857; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfade & Smitinand 1959 drawing; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989; Orchids of Java Comber 1990; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; Lindleyana Vol 15 No 4 2000; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; Orchids of Australia Riley & Banks 2002; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol III Shuiteman and de Vogel 2006; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Mountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide;

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