Eulophia - Definition and Overview

The genus Eulophia includes 209 species of orchids, subfamily Vandoideae, tribe Cymbidieae, subtribe Cyrtopodiinae.

The genus was first described by John Lindley in 1821. The name "Eulophia" was derived from the Greek words "eu" (well) and "lophos" (plume), referring to the crested ridges of the labellum (lip) in some species.

These are terrestrial or ground orchids, some are epiphytes and rarely lithophytes. They are distributed in shady rainforests or in open woodland in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, India, Asia, and the Americas, although most are found in Africa. They can survive the dry season through their large bulbous ‘corms’.

Some species, such as Eulophia petersii, have adapted to very arid environments and are among the few orchids to have truly evolved desert living species.

The deciduous or evergreen leaves are usually pleated, with longitudinal veins. They are green and sheathed at the base. But in some species, the leaves may be reduced or have become brown scales. Some are leafless saprophytes.

The large underground, fleshy rhizome shows a sympodial growth habit.

The inflorescence arises from the base. It grows into a raceme. It is only rarely branched.The inflorescence is few to many-flowered (sometimes as many as fifty flowers). The sepals and the petals are alike. The lip has three lobes. There are two pollinia. These orchids can reach a height of 1.6m (6ft.)

Species

• Eulophia abyssinica (NE. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia aculeata (S. Africa).
  • Eulophia aculeata subsp. aculeata (S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia aculeata subsp. huttonii (S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
• Eulophia acutilabra (S. Congo to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia adenoglossa (Trop. & S. Africa).
• Eulophia albobrunnea (Ethiopia).
• Eulophia aloifolia (Angola).
• Eulophia alta : Wild Coco (Trop. Africa, S. Florida, Mexico to Trop. America)
  • Eulophia alta var. alba (Central and West Brazil)
• Eulophia amblyosepala (Uganda). Provisionally accepted.
• Eulophia andamanensis (Indo-China to N. Sumatra)
• Eulophia angolensis : Yellow Swamp Orchid (Trop. & S. Africa).

• Eulophia angustilabris (Thailand).
• Eulophia anjoanensis (Comoros)
• Eulophia antennisepala (Angola).
• Eulophia antunesii (Angola).
• Eulophia arenicola (S. Congo to Botswana).
• Eulophia aurantiaca (Burundi to Zambia).
• Eulophia barteri (W. Trop. Africa to Central African Rep.).
• Eulophia beravensis (Madagascar).
• Eulophia bicallosa (Taiwan, Trop. Asia to N. Australia).
• Eulophia biloba (EC. Mozambique).
• Eulophia bisaccata (Mozambique ?). Provisionally accepted.
• Eulophia borbonica (Réunion).
• Eulophia borneensis (Borneo - Sarawak).
• Eulophia bouliawongo (Nigeria to Angola).
• Eulophia bracteosa (Assam to SC. China).
• Eulophia brenanii (S. Congo to N. Zambia).
• Eulophia buettneri (W. Trop. Africa to Cameroon)
• Eulophia burmanica (Myanmar).

• Eulophia calantha (Guinea, Central African Rep. to Uganda and S. Trop. Africa). .
• Eulophia calanthoides (S. Africa).
• Eulophia callichroma (Tanzania to Swaziland)
• Eulophia campanulata (Uttaranchal – Western Himalaya).
• Eulophia campbellii (E. India).
• Eulophia caricifolia (Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia carsonii (Tanzania to Zambia).
• Eulophia chaunanthe (Thailand).
• Eulophia chilangensis (S. Congo to Angola).
• Eulophia chlorantha (SE. Mpumalanga to NW. Swaziland – South Africa).
• Eulophia chrysoglossoides (N. Borneo).
• Eulophia clandestina (Angola).
• Eulophia clavicornis (Ethiopia to S. Africa, Madagascar, SW. Arabian Pen).
  • Eulophia clavicornis var. clavicornis (Zimbabwe to S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia clavicornis var. inaequalis (Zimbabwe to S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia clavicornis var. nutans (Ethiopia to S. Africa, Madagascar, SW. Arabian Pen.) Pseudobulb
• Eulophia clitellifera (Trop. & S. Africa, Madagascar)
• Eulophia coccifera (Réunion).
• Eulophia coddii (Northern Prov. – South Africa)
• Eulophia coeloglossa (Tanzania to S. Africa).
• Eulophia cooperi (S. Africa)
• Eulophia corymbosa (Angola).
• Eulophia cristata (W. Trop. Africa to Ethiopia).
• Eulophia cucullata (Trop. & S. Africa, Madagascar)
• Eulophia dabia (Afghanistan to S. China)
• Eulophia dactylifera (S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia dahliana (New Guinea to Bismarck Arch.).
• Eulophia densiflora (E. Himalaya).
• Eulophia dentata (Philippines - Luzon).
• Eulophia distans (Sierra Leone)
• Eulophia divergens (Angola).
• Eulophia dufossei (Indo-China).
• Eulophia ecristata : Smooth-lipped Eulophia (SE. U.S.A. to Cuba).
• Eulophia elegans (Cameroon, SW. Tanzania to Malawi).
• Eulophia emilianae (SW. India).
• Eulophia ensata (Mozambique to S. Africa)
• Eulophia ephippium (Madagascar).
• Eulophia epidendraea (India, Sri Lanka)
• Eulophia epiphanoides (SW. Tanzania).
• Eulophia euantha (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia euglossa (W. Trop. Africa to Ethiopia)
• Eulophia eustachya (Ethiopia to Zimbabwe)
• Eulophia exaltata (E. Java to Lesser Sunda Is.).
• Eulophia explanata (Himalaya to India).
• Eulophia eylesii (Rwanda to S. Trop. Africa).
  • Eulophia eylesii var. auquieriana (Rwanda to Congo) Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia eylesii var. eylesii (S. Congo to S. Trop. Africa) Hemimycotrophic rhizome geophyte
• Eulophia falcatiloba (Central African Rep.).
• Eulophia fernandeziana (S. Congo).
• Eulophia filifolia (Madagascar).
• Eulophia flava (Himalaya to Indo-China).
• Eulophia flavopurpurea (Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia foliosa (Zimbabwe to S. Africa)
• Eulophia fridericii (Tanzania to Northern Prov. – S. Africa)
• Eulophia galeoloides (Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia gastrodioides (S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia gonychila (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia gracilis (W. Trop. Africa to Angola).
• Eulophia graminea (Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to Marianas - Guam).
• Eulophia grandidieri (Madagascar).
• Eulophia guineensis (Cape Verde, Trop. Africa, Arabian Pen.)
  • Eulophia guineensis var. tisserantii (Central African Republic)
• Eulophia herbacea (Himalaya to Indo-China)
• Eulophia hereroensis (S. Trop. & S. Africa).
• Eulophia hirschbergii (S. Congo to Zambia).
• Eulophia hologlossa (E. Madagascar).
• Eulophia holubii (S. Congo to N. Botswana).
• Eulophia horsfallii : Purple Swamp Orchid (Trop. & S. Africa)
• Eulophia ibityensis (SE. Madagascar).
• Eulophia javanica (W. & C. Java).
• Eulophia juncifolia (W. Trop. Africa to Chad).
• Eulophia kamarupa (Assam – India).
• Eulophia katangensis (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia kyimbilae (Ethiopia to Botswana)
• Eulophia lachnocheila (Myanmar).
• Eulophia latilabris (Nigeria to Sudan and Botswana)
• Eulophia laurentii (Congo)
• Eulophia leachii (S. Trop. & S. Africa).
• Eulophia lejolyana (S. Congo)
• Eulophia leonensis (W. Trop. Africa to Uganda).
• Eulophia leontoglossa (S. Africa).
• Eulophia litoralis (SW. & S. Cape Prov. – S. Africa).
• Eulophia livingstoneana (Ethiopia to S. Africa, Comoros, Madagascar)
• Eulophia longisepala (Burundi to S. Trop. Africa, KwaZulu-Natal)
• Eulophia macaulayi (Angola to Zambia).
• Eulophia mackinnonii (E. Himalaya).
• Eulophia macowanii (E. Cape Prov. to KwaZulu-Natal)
• Eulophia macra (SE. & S. Madagascar).
• Eulophia macrantha (S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia macrobulbon (Indo-China).
• Eulophia magnicristata (Central African Republic)
• Eulophia malangana (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia mangenotiana (N. Madagascar).
• Eulophia mannii (Sikkim to Assam)
• Eulophia massokoensis (Tanzania to Zambia).
• Eulophia meleagris (E. Cape Prov. to KwaZulu-Natal).
• Eulophia merrillii (Philippines - Mindanao.
• Eulophia milnei (Trop. & S. Africa)
• Eulophia monantha (China - Yunnan).
• Eulophia monile (Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia monotropis (Tanzania to Zimbabwe).
• Eulophia monticola (S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia montis-elgonis (S. Sudan to Tanzania).
• Eulophia moratii (New Caledonia - Î. des Pins).
• Eulophia mumbwaensis (W. Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia nervosa (C. Madagascar).
• Eulophia nicobarica (Nicobar Isl.).
• Eulophia norlindhii (Central African Rep. to Tanzania and S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia nuttii (Tanzania to Zambia).
• Eulophia nyasae (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia obscura (Burundi to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia obstipa (Tanzania to Angola).
• Eulophia obtusa (N. India)
• Eulophia ochreata (India).
• Eulophia ochyrae (Central African Republic)
• Eulophia odontoglossa (Trop. & S. Africa)
• Eulophia orthoplectra (Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia ovalis (Kenya to S. Africa)
  • Eulophia ovalis var. bainesii (Kenya to S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia ovalis var. ovalis (Zimbabwe to S. Africa). Pseudobulb epiphyte
• Eulophia palmicola (SW. Madagascar).
• Eulophia parilamellata (Congo).
• Eulophia parviflora (S. Trop. & S. Africa).
• Eulophia parvilabris (S. Africa).
• Eulophia parvula (Nigeria to Sudan and Zimbabwe)
• Eulophia pauciflora (Indo-China)
• Eulophia penduliflora (Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia perrieri (NW. Madagascar).
• Eulophia petersii (Eritrea to S. Africa, Arabian Pen.)
• Eulophia pileata (C. Madagascar).
• Eulophia plantaginea (W. Indian Ocean – Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion).
• Eulophia platypetala (S. Cape Prov. – S. Africa)
• Eulophia promensis (Darjiling to Indo-China).
• Eulophia protearum (Angola).
• Eulophia pulchra (Tanzania to Mozambique and W. Pacific).
• Eulophia pyrophila (Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia ramentacea (SW. India).
• Eulophia ramifera (W. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia ramosa (W. Madagascar).
• Eulophia rara (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia regnieri (Vietnam).
• Eulophia reticulata (Madagascar).
• Eulophia rhodesiaca (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia richardsiae (N. Zambia).
• Eulophia rolfeana (S. Congo to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia rugulosa (Tanzania to Angola).
• Eulophia rutenbergiana (C. & SE. Madagascar).
• Eulophia ruwenzoriensis (E. Trop. Africa to Zambia, Brazil to NE. Argentina).
• Eulophia sabulosa (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia saxicola (Zambia to Zimbabwe)
• Eulophia schaijesii (S. Congo).
• Eulophia schweinfurthii (Ethiopia to Northern Prov. – S. Africa)
• Eulophia seleensis (Burundi to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia serrata (SE. Kenya)
• Eulophia siamensis (Thailand).
• Eulophia sooi (China - Guangxi).
• Eulophia sordida (W. Trop. Africa to Cameroon).
• Eulophia speciosa (Ethiopia to S. Africa, SW. Arabian Pen.)
• Eulophia spectabilis : Grass Orchid (S. China, Trop. Asia to W. Pacific)
• Eulophia stachyodes (Nigeria to Ethiopia and Mozambique).
• Eulophia stenopetala (C. Bhutan).
• Eulophia stenoplectra (Ghana, S. Sudan, Uganda).
• Eulophia streptopetala (Eritrea to S. Africa, SW. Arabian Pen.)
  • Eulophia streptopetala var. rueppelii (Ethiopia, Yemen) Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia streptopetala var. stenophylla (E. Trop. Africa) Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Eulophia streptopetala var. streptopetala (Eritrea to S. Africa) Pseudobulb epiphyte
• Eulophia stricta (Philippines to Sulawesi)
• Eulophia subsaprophytica (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia subulata (E. Congo to E. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia suzannae (Congo).
• Eulophia sylviae (S. Congo).
• Eulophia tabularis (Cape Prov. – S. Africa)
• Eulophia taitensis (E. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia taiwanensis (SE. Taiwan)
• Eulophia tanganyikensis (Burundi to Zimbabwe).
• Eulophia tenella (S. Trop. & S. Africa).
• Eulophia thollonii Congo, Gabon, Cameroon)
• Eulophia thomsonii (Tanzania to Zambia).
• Eulophia tisserantii (Central African Republic)
• Eulophia toyoshimae (Ogasawara-shoto – Japan).
• Eulophia tricristata (S. Congo to Angola).
• Eulophia trilamellata (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Eulophia tuberculata (Tanzania to S. Africa)
• Eulophia ukingensis (Tanzania).
• Eulophia vanoverberghii (Philippines - Luzon).
• Eulophia venosa (Maluku to Queensland – Australia)
• Eulophia venulosa (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa).
• Eulophia venusta (China - Guizhou).
• Eulophia versicolor (Réunion).
• Eulophia walleri (Tanzania to Namibia)
• Eulophia welwitschii (Congo to S. Africa).
• Eulophia wendlandiana (Madagascar).
• Eulophia yunnanensis (S. China to Vietnam)
• Eulophia zeyheri (Nigeria to Sudan and S. Africa).
• Eulophia zeyheriana (S. Africa)
• Eulophia zollingeri (Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to Queensland)

Hybrids

• Eulophia × burundiensis ( = E. cucullata × E. flavopurpurea) (Burundi)..
• Eulophia × pholelana ( = E. ovalis var. bainesii × E. zeyheriana) (S. Africa)