Wu Delin (吴德邻 Wu Te-lin)[1], Zhang Dianxiang (张奠湘)1; Richard M. K. Saunders[2]
Herbs, annual or perennial, small, mycotrophic, semi-mycotrophic, or autotrophic, often rhizomatous or tuberous. Leaves alternate, simple, entire; autotrophic species with basal rosette leaves; all with cauline leaves. Inflorescences terminal, many flowered cymes or racemes, or flower solitary. Flowers bisexual. Perianth of 1 or 2 whorls and each whorl of 3 tepals, corolline, tubular or campanulate. Perianth tube often 3-angled or 3-winged; tepals sometimes appendaged; appendages terminal, elongated, slender. Stamens 3 or 6, if 3, then subsessile in the perianth throat, if 6, then pendent in perianth tube; connectives large, often appendiculate. Ovary inferior, 1-loculed with parietal placentation or 3-loculed with axile placentation; ovules numerous, anatropous, bitegmic. Style filiform, shortly cylindrical, or conical; stigmas 3, sometimes connate. Fruit capsular, occasionally fleshy, with either persistent perianth tube and style or persistent basal ring of perianth only; dehiscence irregular or by transverse ventral slits. Seeds small, numerous; endosperm present.
About 21 genera and 165 species; tropical and subtropical regions; three genera and 11 species (two endemic) in China.
1a.... Perianth tube urceolate, circumscissile; style very short; stamens 6 ............................................................ 3. Thismia
1b.... Perianth tube salverform, cylindrical, trigonous, or campanulate; style ± as long as perianth tube; stamens 3.
2a.... Perianth persistent after anthesis; ovary 3-loculed with axile placentation ........................................... 1. Burmannia
2b.... Perianth caducous after anthesis; ovary 1-loculed with parietal placentation ................................. 2. Gymnosiphon
1. BURMANNIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 287. 1753.
shui yu zan shu
Plants annual or perennial, mycotrophic, semi-mycotrophic, or autotrophic; sometimes rhizomatous. Stems simple, rarely branched. Basal leaves in a distinct rosette; cauline leaves bractlike, small. Flowers solitary or in terminal cymes. Perianth tube actinomorphic, cylindrical or trigonous, with 3 lateral wings, or sometimes wings absent, without annulus at tube mouth; tepals generally 6, apically free; outer tepals larger than inner, unlobed; inner tepals often minute, occasionally lacking. Stamens 3, sessile or subsessile on perianth tube; connective with 0--2 apical and 0--1 basal appendages. Ovary trigonous, 3-loculed, with axile placentation. Stigmas bilabiate to funnelshaped. Fruit capsular, with persistent perianth; dehiscence generally irregular.
About 60 species; tropical and subtropical regions; 10 species in China.
1a.... Plants with chlorophyll, autotrophic or semi-mycotrophic; basal rosette leaves present.
2a.... Basal leaves numerous; cauline leaves 1.5--8 cm; inflorescences with 8--20 flowers ........................... 1. B. disticha
2b.... Basal leaves few; cauline leaves 0.5--3 cm; inflorescences with 1--6(--8) flowers.
3a.... Stems to 40 cm tall; outer tepals margin double and prominent; inner tepals margin double ............. 2. B. coelestis
3b.... Stems to 24 cm tall; outer tepals margin single or double and shallow; inner tepals margin single.
4a.... Inflorescences with 1--3(--4) flowers; flowers 3--8 mm; stamens sessile in perianth tube ................. 3. B. chinensis
4b.... Inflorescences with (1--)3--5(--8) flowers; flowers 9--14 mm; stamens with short filament, basally adnate to perianth tube .............................................................................................................................................................. 4. B. filamentosa
1b.... Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic; basal rosette leaves absent.
5a.... Stems, leaves and flowers ± purplish-blue.
6a.... Perianth wings narrow or reduced to ribs; outer tepals ca. 1 mm ........................................................... 7. B. wallichii
6b.... Perianth wings conspicuous, 1--2 mm wide; outer tepals 1.5--2 mm ........................................................... 8. B. itoana
5b.... Stems, leaves and flowers whitish or yellow.
7a.... Inflorescences with (1--)3--13 flowers; inner tepals present, sometimes very small.
8a.... Perianth wings conspicuous, 1--2 mm wide; stamen connectives with a pendent basal spur; seeds fusiform 5. B. nepalensis
8b.... Perianth wings reduced to ribs or absent; stamen connectives without a pendent basal spur; seeds subglobose 10. B. championii
7b.... Inflorescences with 1--4 flowers; inner tepals absent.
9a.... Stems to 20 cm; perianth tube 4.5--5.5 mm; perianth wings 3--5.5 mm wide; stamen connectives with 2 apical crests; seeds fusiform .................................................................................................................................................. 6. B. oblonga
9b.... Stems to 9 cm; perianth tube 3--4 mm; perianth wings 0.5--2.5 mm wide; stamen connectives with 1 apical crest; seeds ellipsoid ..................................................................................................................................................... 9. B. cryptopetala
1. Burmannia disticha Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 287. 1753.
shui yu zan
Plants with chlorophyll, autotrophic, flowering when 12.5--70 cm tall. Stems green, robust. Basal rosette leaves numerous, linear-lanceolate, 0.2--1.7 X 0.3--2 cm. Cauline leaves linear, 1.5--8 X 0.2--1 cm. Inflorescences with 8--20 flowers; bracts lanceolate, 0.5--2.4 cm. Flowers pedicellate, blue-purple or yellow, 1--2.6 cm. Perianth tube 3--8 mm; wings conspicuous, 1--3.5 mm wide; outer tepals triangular, 1.5--4.5 mm, margin double and shallow; inner tepals lanceolate, 1--2 mm, margin single or double and shallow. Stamens sessile; connectives with 2 apical crests and a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid, 6--12 mm. Capsule obovoid. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. Apr--Jun, fr. Jun--Sep. 2n = ca. 136.
Wet thickets or grassland. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].
2. Burmannia coelestis D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 44. 1825.
san pin yi zhi hua
Plants with chlorophyll, semi-mycotrophic, flowering when 10--40 cm tall. Stems green, slender. Basal rosette leaves few, linear-lanceolate, 0.5--2 cm X ca. 3 mm. Cauline leaves linear, 0.5--3 X 0. 2--0.3 cm. Inflorescences with (1--)2--6(--8) flowers; bracts lanceolate, 3--6 mm. Flowers pedicellate or subsessile, blue-purple with yellow tepals, 10--15 mm. Perianth tube 4.5--13 mm; wings conspicuous, 1.5--3 mm wide; outer tepals ovate-triangular, 1--2 mm, margin double and prominent; inner tepals triangular, 0.5--1 mm, margin double. Stamens sessile; connectives with 2 apical crests and a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid or obovoid, 3--7 mm. Capsule obovoid. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. Jun--Oct, fr. Oct--Feb. 2n = ca. 16.
Generally in wet grassland. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan [Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].
3. Burmannia chinensis Gandoger, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 290. 1919.
xiang gang shui yu zan
Burmannia pusilla (Wallich ex Miers) Thwaites var. hongkongensis Jonker.
Plants with chlorophyll, semi-mycotrophic, flowering when 4.5--20 cm tall. Stems green, slender. Basal rosette leaves few, lanceolate, 0.3--1.2 cm X 1--3 mm. Cauline leaves linear, 5--18 X ca. 2 mm. Inflorescences with 1--3(--4) flowers; bracts lanceolate, 5--6 mm. Flowers pedicellate or subsessile, purple or yellow, 3--8 mm. Perianth tube 4--6.5 mm; wings conspicuous, 1--3 mm wide; outer tepals broadly ovate, 1--3 mm, margin single or double and shallow; inner tepals spatulate, 0.5--1.2 mm, margin single. Stamens sessile; connectives with 2 apical crests and sometimes a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.5--7 mm. Capsule obovoid. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. Jun--Oct, fr. Jul--Jan. 2n = ca. 32.
Generally in wet grassland. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam].
4. Burmannia filamentosa D. X. Zhang & R. M. K. Saunders, Nordic. J. Bot. 20: 392. 2000.
yue dong shui yu zan
Plants with chlorophyll, semi-mycotrophic, flowering when 8--24 cm tall. Stems green, slender. Basal rosette leaves few, triangular-lanceolate, 0.5--1.4 cm X 2--3 mm. Cauline leaves linear, 5--15 X 1.5--3 mm. Inflorescences with (1--)3--5(--8) flowers; bracts lanceolate, ca. 5 mm. Flowers subsessile, blue-purple, 9--14 mm. Perianth tube 6--7.5 mm; wings conspicuous, 2--3 mm wide; outer tepals narrowly triangular, 1.5--3 mm, margin double and shallow; inner tepals lanceolate, 1--2 mm, margin single. Stamens with short filament, basally adnate to perianth tube; connectives with 2 apical crests but lacking a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid, 3--7 mm. Capsule obovoid. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Oct--Nov.
* Wet, open areas. E Guangdong.
5. Burmannia nepalensis (Miers) J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 5: 666. 1888.
huan cai shui yu zan
Gonyanthes nepalensis Miers, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 18: 537. 1841; Burmannia fadouensis H. Li.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 4--13 cm tall. Stems whitish, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves triangular, 2--3.5 X ca. 1 mm. Inflorescences with (1‑‑)3--9 flowers; bracts triangular-lanceolate, 2--3 mm. Flowers pedicellate, whitish or yellow, 4--7 mm. Perianth tube 1.5--2.5 mm; wings conspicuous, 1--2 mm wide; outer tepals oblong-ovate, 0.5--1.2 mm, margin single; inner tepals orbiculate, very small, margin single. Stamens sessile; connectives with 2 apical crests and a pendent basal spur. Ovary subglobose, 1.5--3 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds fusiform. Fl. and fr. Jul--Dec.
Wet areas in forests. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand].
6. Burmannia oblonga Ridley, J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 41: 33. 1904.
lie e shui yu zan
Burmannia bifida Gagnepain.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 7--20 cm tall. Stems whitish, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves triangular, 1.5--3 X 1--2 mm. Inflorescences with 1--4 flowers; bracts triangular-lanceolate, 2.5--3 mm. Flowers pedicellate or subsessile, whitish, 8--14 mm. Perianth tube 4.5--5.5 mm; wings conspicuous, 3--5.5 mm wide; outer tepals broadly oblong, ca. 2 mm, margin single; inner tepals absent. Stamens sessile; connectives with 2 apical crests and a pendent basal spur. Ovary globose to rhomboid, ca. 4 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds fusiform. Fl. and fr. Jul--Dec.
Wet, evergreen forests. Hainan [Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam].
7. Burmannia wallichii (Miers) J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 5: 666. 1888.
tin li
Gonyanthes wallichii Miers, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 18: 537. 1841.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 4--11.5 cm tall. Stems purple, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves triangular-subulate, 1.5--3.5 X 1--1.5 mm. Inflorescences with 1--3 flowers; bracts triangular-lanceolate, 2--3.5 mm. Flowers sessile, blue-purple, 5--10 mm. Perianth tube 2.5--5.5 mm; wings narrow or reduced to ribs, 0.2--0.8 mm wide; outer tepals ovate-triangular, ca. 1 mm, margin single; inner tepals orbiculate, very small, margin single. Stamens sessile; connectives lacking apical crests, sometimes with a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.5--3 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Jul--Nov. n = 16.
Wet areas in dense forests. Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan [Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].
8. Burmannia itoana Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 27: 1. 1913.
fu cao
Burmannia pingbienensis H. Li; B. takeoi Hayata.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 5--15 cm tall. Stems light blue, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves ovate-lanceolate, 2.5--3.5 X 1.5--2.5 mm. Inflorescences with 1--3 flowers; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm. Flowers pedicellate, blue-purple, 8--11 mm. Perianth-tube 3.5--5.5 mm; wings conspicuous, 1--2 mm wide; outer tepals ovate-triangular, 1.5--2 mm, margin single; inner tepals orbiculate, very small, margin single. Stamens sessile; connectives with an apical crest and a pendent basal spur. Ovary subglobose, 2--3.5 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Jun--Dec.
Wet, evergreen forests. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Japan].
9. Burmannia cryptopetala Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 27: 3. 1913.
tou ming shui yu zan
Burmannia cryptopetala Makino var. daxikangensis Z. Wei & Y. B. Chang.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 5--9 cm tall. Stems whitish, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves ovate-lanceolate, 3--3.5 X 1.5--2.5 mm. Inflorescences with 1--3 flowers; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm. Flowers pedicellate, whitish with yellow tepals, 1--1.2 cm. Perianth tube 3--4 mm; wings conspicuous, 0.5--2.5 mm wide; outer tepals triangular, 1.5--2 mm, margin single; inner tepals absent. Stamens sessile; connectives with an apical crest and a pendent basal spur. Ovary subglobose, 3.5--5 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Jun--Nov.
Wet areas in dense forests. Guangdong, Hainan, Zhejiang [Japan].
10. Burmannia championii Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 325. 1864.
tou hua shui yu zan
Burmannia dazielii Rendle; B. hunanensis K. M. Liu & C. L. Long.
Plants without chlorophyll, holomycotrophic, flowering when 3--22 cm tall. Stems whitish, slender. Basal rosette leaves absent. Cauline leaves ovate-triangular, 1.5--6 X 1--3 mm. Inflorescences with 3--13 flowers; bracts ovate-triangular, 1.5--6 mm. Flowers pedicellate or sessile, whitish with yellow tepals, 5--11 mm. Perianth tube 3--5 mm; wings reduced to ribs or absent; outer tepals narrowly triangular, 1.5--3 mm, margin single; inner tepals spatulate, 0.8--1.4 mm, margin single. Stamens sessile or with short filament, basally adnate to perianth; connectives sometimes with 2 small apical crests but lacking a pendent basal spur. Ovary ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.5--3.5 mm. Capsule subglobose. Seeds subglobose. Fl. and fr. May--Aug.
Wet areas in forests. Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Taiwan [India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand; Pacific Islands].
2. GYMNOSIPHON Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 1: 29. 1827.
fu cao shu
Plants annual, without chlorophyll, mycotrophic; rhizomatous. Stems simple or branched. Leaves cauline, bractlike, small. Inflorescences terminal, racemes or flower solitary. Perianth tube actinomorphic, salverform, lateral wings absent, without annulus at mouth; tepals 6, apically free; outer tepals larger than inner, slightly 3-lobed; inner tepals very small. Stamens 3, sessile on perianth tube; connectives generally unappendaged. Ovary ovoid to globose, 1-loculed, with 3 parietal placentas; placentas each with a large globose gland at both sides of the apex. Stigmas 3, often appendiculate. Fruit capsular, perianth caducous but perianth base persistent; dehiscence generally irregular or by longitudinal slits.
About 29 species; Africa, tropical America, Asia, and New Guinea; one species in China.
1. Gymnosiphon aphyllus Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 1: 29. 1827
fu cao
Burmannia nana Fukuyama & T. Suzuki; Gymnosiphon nanus (Fukuyama & T. Suzuki) Tuyama.
Plants holomycotrophic, flowering when 7--8 cm tall. Stems white to pale yellow. Leaves narrowly ovate-triangular, 1.5--2 mm. Inflorescence branched or not, 5--8-flowered; bracts ovate-triangular, ca. 2 mm. Flowers pedicellate, white; perianth tube cylindrical, ca. 3 mm; outer tepals ovate, ca. 1 mm; inner tepals ca. 0.2 mm. Stamens inserted immediately below inner tepals. Stigmas curved, funnel-shaped, unappendiculate. Fruit ca. 3 mm, dehiscence by irregular perforation of the wall between costae. Seeds ovoid.
Tropical rain forest, at low elevations. Taiwan [Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Thailand].
3. THISMIA Griffith, Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 1: 221. 1844.
si yu zan
Plants annual, without chlorophyll, mycotrophic; tuberous. Stems simple or branched. Leaves cauline, bractlike, small. Flowers solitary, terminal. Perianth tube actinomorphic to zygomorphic, cylindrical to urceolate, sometimes campanulate, lateral wings absent, with prominent annulus at mouth; tepals 6, apically free; outer tepals as long as or shorter than inner tepals; inner tepals sometimes apically connivent or connate into an erect mitre. Stamens 6, generally laterally connate, pendent from annulus, occasionally free; connectives with 0--2 apical and 0--2 basal appendages. Ovary obconical or obovoid, 1-loculed, with 3 parietal placentas. Stigmas 3, simple or bilabiate. Fruit fleshy with persistent perianth base; dehiscence by abscission of apex.
About 35 species; pantropical; one species endemic to China.
1. Thismia taiwanensis S. Z. Yang, R. M. K. Saunders & C. J. Hsu, Syst. Bot. 27: ??. 2002.
tai wan si yu zan
Plants holomycotrophic. Stems ± absent at anthesis, ca. 1.3--4 cm and carnose in fruit. Leaves 5 or 6 per stem, scalelike, 3.3--5.5 X 0.4--1.0 mm. Flowers subsessile, with 2 or 3 subtending bracts. Perianth tube white, translucent, actinomorphic, urceolate, ca. 9 X 5 mm, circumscissile; outer tepals ovate, ca. 2.5--3.5 mm excluding appendage, radiating outwards; appendage erect, subulate, 5--8 mm. Inner tepals spatulate, ca. 5 mm excluding appendage, apically imbricate and forming a loose mitre over perianth chamber; appendage erect, subulate, 2.8--3.3 cm. Stamens apparently free. Fruit capsule?? (white), translucent, cup-shaped, 3.3--3.7 X ca. 4 mm, apically dehiscent; fruiting peduncle 5--8 cm. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Sep.
* Fagaceae forests. Taiwan (Kaohsiung).