| Bulbophyllum | ||||||||||||
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(many) |
The genus Bulbophyllum is the largest in the Orchidaceae and is one of the largest in the entire plant kingdom only exceeded by Senecio and Euphorbia in the total number of species it contains. It covers an incredible range of vegetative form, from tall plants with cane like stems, root climbers that wind or creep their way up tree trunks, pendulous epiphytes and quite a number that have developed succulent foliage to a greater or lesser degree. One species has almost become leafless and uses it's pseudobulbs as the organs of photosynthesis. The centre of diversity is in Papua New Guinea and seems to be the evolutionary homeland though the genus is widespread occurring in Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa and in tropical central and South America. The flower form, though diverse, has a basic structural blueprint that serves to identify this genus.
The following species are of note for their extremes of vegetive and floral form: