(F.M.Bailey) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones
Description
Bryobium eriaeoides is a small epiphytic orchid formerly placed in the genus Eria, transferred to Bryobium by Clements & Jones based on molecular phylogenetic evidence. The genus Bryobium comprises species previously assigned to Eria section Mycaranthes and allied sections. The species has a disjunct distribution spanning the eastern Himalayas (Bhutan, northeast India) to Southeast Asia and Australasia (Papua New Guinea, Queensland), occurring in montane cloud forests at elevations of 400–2,200 m.
The plant forms small, clustered pseudobulbs 1–3 cm tall on a creeping rhizome, each bearing 2–4 narrowly elliptic leaves 3–8 cm long. The inflorescence arises from the base of the pseudobulb, producing a short raceme of small, densely arranged flowers. Individual flowers are 4–6 mm across, white to pale cream, with a densely pubescent ovary and floral bracts. The lip is trilobed, the mid-lobe fleshy with low keels. Flowering in the Himalayas occurs from April to June.
The taxonomy of Bryobium and closely related genera remains in flux, as ongoing molecular studies continue to refine the classification of the large, polyphyletic former genus Eria. Like all orchids, the species is subject to CITES Appendix II trade regulations.
Author: (F.M.Bailey) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Clements & Jones: Nomenclatural changes in the Eriinae (2002), Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)