Zeuxine strateumatica

(Linnaeus) Schlechter

Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 394. 1911.

Common names: Lawn orchid soldier orchid
IntroducedIllustrated
Basionym: Orchis strateumatica Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 943. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 519. Mentioned on page 517.

Plants 4–25 cm. Roots clustered at nodes of subterranean part of stem and rhizome, short. Stems from decumbent base, erect or ascending, greenish, tinged with purple or brown, slender. Leaves 5–12, spirally arranged, sessile, sheathing; blade erect, dark green, linear to narrowly lanceolate, keeled, 1–9 × 0.3–0.8 cm, apex long-acuminate. Inflorescences 8–50-flowered; rachis 1–8 cm; floral bracts green, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 15 × 4 mm. Flowers white with prominent yellow lip; dorsal sepal concave, ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 4–7 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals oblique, ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 4–6 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse to acute; petals oblong-lanceolate, falcate, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, converging with dorsal sepal; lip adnate to base of column, sessile, base concave, subsaccate or cymbiform, containing 2 glands, lamina ± contracted in middle, abruptly dilated at apex, not extending beyond lateral sepals, 4 × 3 mm, fleshy; column 1.5 mm; anther between 2 large stigmatic processes, scarious; pollinia yellow; ovary sessile, stout, 7 mm. Capsules suberect, ovoid to ellipsoid, 7 mm. 2n = 22–64, 30–56, 50, 100.


Phenology: Flowering fall–winter (Oct–Jan), occasionally spring.
Habitat: Moist areas in a variety of habitats, including lawns, roadsides, nurseries, farm fields, occasionally hammocks and pinelands
Elevation: 0–30 m

Distribution

V26 1056-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Ala.(?), Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Tex., West Indies, native, Asia, Pacific Islands.

Discussion

Given the weedy nature of these plants, the apparently high fruit set (C. A. Luer 1972, plate 36), and the spontaneous reproduction in greenhouses (O. Ames 1938), Zeuxine strateumatica is very likely autogamous or apomictic. Five cytotypes whose floral morphology overlapped considerably have been identified (S. P. Vij and N. Vohra 1974). In all but the 2n = 20 cytotype, meiotic behavior was abnormal.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Zeuxine strateumatica"
James D. Ackerman +
(Linnaeus) Schlechter +
Orchis strateumatica +
Lawn orchid +  and soldier orchid +
Ala.(?) +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, West Indies +, native +, Asia +  and Pacific Islands. +
0–30 m +
Moist areas in a variety of habitats, including lawns, roadsides, nurseries, farm fields, occasionally hammocks and pinelands +
Flowering fall–winter (Oct–Jan), occasionally spring. +
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Zeuxine strateumatica +
species +