| Bootlace orchids | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration of E. cassythoides in Robert Fitgerald's book Australian Orchids | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Vanilloideae |
| Tribe: | Vanilleae |
| Genus: | Erythrorchis Blume1 |
| Synonyms1 | |
|
Ledgeria F.Muell. | |
Erythrorchis, commonly known as bootlace orchids2 or as 倒吊兰属 (dao diao lan shu),3 is a genus of two species of climbing, leafless orchids in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are climbing or scrambling vines that cling by small roots, usually climbing on tree trunks. Many-branched flowering stems bear many densely crowded flowers.
Description
Orchids in the genus Erythrorchis are leafless myco-heterotrophic, climbing herbs that cling to surfaces with small, unbranched roots from the main stems. They usually cling to tree trunks. Densely crowded, resupinate flowers are borne on a highly branched flowering stem. The sepals and petals are fleshy, often fused to each other and spread widely, the petals narrower than the sepals. The labellum is relatively wide and has crinkled edges and closely surrounds the column. The fruit are long, thin capsules.234
Taxonomy and naming
The genus Erythrorchis was first formally described in 1837 by Carl Ludwig Blume and published in his book Rumphia.56 The name Erythrorchis is derived from the Ancient Greek words erythros meaning "red"7: 650 and orchis meaning "testicle" or "orchid".7: 788
The two species are-8
- Erythrorchis altissima (Blume) Blume - Hainan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Assam, Indonesia, Ryukyu Islands, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam;
- Erythrorchis cassythoides (R.Cunn. ex Lindl.) Garay - Queensland, New South Wales.
References
References
- "Erythrorchis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
- Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 369. ISBN 1877069124.
- Chen, Xinqi; Gale, Stephen W.; Cribb, Phillip J. "Erythrorchis". Flora of China. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- Weston, Peter H. "Erythrorchis". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- "Erythrorchis". APNI. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- Blume, Carl Ludwig (1837). Rumphia. Vol. 1. Leiden. p. 200. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
- "Erythrorchis". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 25 October 2025.