2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ionopsis (lat. Ionopsis) - a small genus of herbaceous epiphytic (less often, terrestrial) perennial plants belonging to the Orchid family (Latin Orchidaceae). Multi-flowered inflorescences formed by small flowers, which, although they have all the attributes of unique orchids, strongly resemble Violet flowers, both in their uncomplicated shape and in the pale purple color of the petals. Paniculate loose inflorescences of certain species of the genus Ionopsis create a real feast for the eyes and soul, descending from the trees in a noble purple cascade against the background of a dark green two-row system of hard lanceolate leaves.
What's in your name
The Latin name of the genus is based on two Greek words: "ion" and "opsis", the meaning of which in Russian is expressed by the words: "violet" and "similar". Plants of the genus owe this name to the similarity of their small flowers to the flowers of plants of the genus Violet (lat. Viola).
Like many orchids, in the description of which various botanists took part, the plants of the genus have synonymous names. For example, William Jackson Hooker, an English botanist (William Jackson Hooker, 1785 - 1865), gave the genus the name "Iantha"; Kurt Sprengel, German botanist and physician (Kurt Sprengel, 1766 - 1833), named the genus "Cybelion"; Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel, a German physician and botanist (Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel, 1783 - 1856), named the genus "Jantha". Such polyphony introduces a certain confusion in the classification of the kingdom of the most unique creatures of nature - orchids.
In the literature on floriculture, instead of the full Latin name of the genus, an abbreviation consisting of four letters is used - "Inps".
Description
Perennial herbaceous species of the genus Ionopsis belong to plants with a sympodial type of growth, forming miniature creatures of nature with a short or long creeping rhizome. Epiphytic representatives of the genus live on tropical trees, spreading their whitish roots along the trunks, and some species prefer to be located on the ground.
Pseudobulbs of plants are very short and small, and therefore they are often not even visible behind the bases of rigid leaves arranged in two rows, or as a single leaf born from a pseudobulb.
Numerous small graceful flowers, the petals of which are painted in delicate shades of purple, pale lavender or white, and additionally decorated with purple stripes, form lush loose paniculate inflorescences that are a real treat for human eyes. The petal-lip, characteristic of orchid flowers, is longer than the other components of the flower and has a short marigold. Some species show the world larger flowers, forming small inflorescences, such as the type "Ionopsis saturated" (Latin Ionopsis satyrioides).
Varieties
In the genus, there are from 6 to 10 (according to some sources, up to 20) orchid species, which have chosen for their life the subtropical and tropical forests of the Americas, where epiphytic plants are free to grow on trees. But, some species of the genus Ionopsis can be terrestrial plants.
* Ionopsis prickly (lat. Ionopsis burchellii)
* Ionopsis small-flowered (Latin Ionopsis minutiflora)
* Ionopsis warty (lat. Ionopsis papillosa)
* Saturated ionopsis (Latin Ionopsis satyrioides)
* Ionopsis paniculata (lat. Ionopsis paniculata)
* Saccular ionopsis (Latin Ionopsis utricularioides).
Under the protection of man
All plants of the genus Ionopsis are relatively rare in natural conditions of life, and therefore need to protect a person from their barbaric extermination. They are included in the lists of a special international convention designed to guarantee the continued presence of rare plants on the planet.
