LOWIACEAE
Morphological description
Stemless herbs, rhizome with scale-like leaves.
Leaves
Leaves simple, distichous, base of petiole sheathing, lamina entire, rolled lengthwise in bud, secondary veins parallel at acute angle from midrib.
Flowers
Flower bisexual; tepals in 2 rows of 3, unequal; stamens 5; ovary inferior.
Fruit
Fruit a many-seeded capsule.
Seed
Seed arillate.
Different from: Musaceae: leaf sheaths forming a pseudostem, tepals equal. - Zingiberaceae: aromatic, stamen one.
Distribution: The only genus of the family, Orchidantha, is confined to West Malesia.
Literature: . Larsen, Fl. Males. I, 12 (1996) 763-774.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Orchidantha 92, 104.
Illustrations: Fig. 108. Orchidantha maxillarioides (Ridl.) K. Schum. (Lowiaceae). Flowering plant. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 12 (1996) 773 / Pflanzenreich IV.45.
Images in Kew Plants of the World online for Lowiacea.