Galeola
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galeola |
||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
See text. |
Galeola is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae) belonging to the subfamily Vanilloideae.
All Species in this genus are myco-heterotrophic, i.e. they are parasitic upon fungi. The Genus is spread throughout Asia (Madagascar to Japan) and contains 22 to 25 species.
Galeola is of biological interest because of its exclusive saprophytic nature and its seeds. The seeds are the biggest orchid seeds in the world. They are winged, which is also extraordinary for an orchid.