Genus of orchids
Vrydagzynea, commonly calledtonsil orchids,[2] is agenus oforchids in the tribeCranichideae. About forty five species ofVrydagzynea have been formally described. They arenative toIndia,Taiwan,Southeast Asia,Malesia,Melanesia andPolynesia. A single species inAustralia is possibly extinct. They have thinly textured, stalked leaves and small, dull-colouredresupinate flowers with thedorsalsepal andpetals overlapping to form a hood over thecolumn.
Orchids in the genusVrydagzynea areterrestrial,perennial,deciduous,sympodialherbs with a fleshy, creeping, above-groundrhizome anchored by wiry roots. The leaves are thinly textured and stalked, arranged in arosette at the base of the flowering stem or scattered along it. Small, resupinate dull-coloured flowers are crowded along the short flowering stem which usually has protrudingbracts. The dorsal sepal and petals overlap, forming a hood over the column. Thelabellum has a downward pointing spur and two stalkedglands that resembletonsils ortesticles. Orchids in this genus are distinguished from those in other similar genera by the labellum glands, labellum spur and by having petals which are shorter than the sepals.[2][3][4][5][6]
Taxonomy and naming
[edit]The genusVrydagzynea was first formally described in 1858 byCarl Ludwig Blume and the description was published in his bookCollection des Orchidées les plus remarquables de l'archipel Indien et du Japon.[1][7] The nameVrydagzynea honours theDutchpharmacologist Theodore Daniel Vrydag Zynen, acontemporary of Blume.[6]
The following is a list of species ofVrydagzynea recognised byPlants of the World Online as at October 2025:[1]
- Vrydagzynea albida(Blume) Blume - Bangladesh to New Guinea, Indochina, Indonesia, Philippines, Nicobar Islands
- Vrydagzynea albostriataSchltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea angustisepalaJ.J.Sm. - Borneo
- Vrydagzynea argentistriataCarr - Sabah
- Vrydagzynea argyrotaeniaSchltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
- Vrydagzynea beccariiSchltr. - Sarawak
- Vrydagzynea bicostataCarr - Sabah
- Vrydagzynea bractescensRidl. - Sumatra, Borneo
- Vrydagzynea brassiiOrmerod - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea buruensisJ.J.Sm. - Sulawesi, Maluku
- Vrydagzynea celebicaSchltr. - Sulawesi
- Vrydagzynea delianaJ.J.Sm. - Sumatra
- Vrydagzynea elataSchltr. - Sabah, Sarawak
- Vrydagzynea elongataBlume - New Guinea, Maluku and Queensland
- Vrydagzynea endertiiJ.J.Sm. - Borneo
- Vrydagzynea formosanaHayata - Assam, China, Vietnam, Japan
- Vrydagzynea gracilisBlume - Java, Sumatra
- Vrydagzynea grandisAmes & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames - Sabah
- Vrydagzynea guppyiSchltr. - Solomon Islands
- Vrydagzynea kerintjiensisJ.J.Sm - Sumatra
- Vrydagzynea lancifoliaRidl. - Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo
- Vrydagzynea micronesiacaSchltr. - Pohnpei
- Vrydagzynea neohibernicaSchltr. - Bismarck Archipelago
- Vrydagzynea novaguineensisJ.J.Sm. - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea nudaBlume - Hainan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Borneo, Java
- Vrydagzynea obliquaSchltr. - Sulawesi
- Vrydagzynea paludosaJ.J.Sm. - Queensland, New Guinea, Solomon Islands
- Vrydagzynea paucifloraJ.J.Sm. - Borneo
- Vrydagzynea purpureaBlume - Java
- Vrydagzynea salomonensisSchltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
- Vrydagzynea samoanaSchltr - Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa
- Vrydagzynea schumannianaKraenzl. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea semicordataJ.J.Sm. - Borneo
- Vrydagzynea sessilifoliaOrmerod - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea tilungensisJ.J.Sm. - Borneo
- Vrydagzynea triangularisOrmerod & J.J.Wood - Sabah
- Vrydagzynea tristriataRidl. - Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo
- Vrydagzynea truncicolaSchltr. - New Guinea
- Vrydagzynea uncinataBlume - Java
- Vrydagzynea viridifloraHook.f.
- Vrydagzynea vitiensisRchb.f - Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga
- Vrydagzynea vrydagzynoides(Ames) Ormerod - Leyte
- Vrydagzynea weberiAmes - Philippines
.jpg)
