Geodorum nutans (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Geodorum nutans (Presl) Ames

Protologue: Orchidaceae

Arethusa glutinosa Blanco, Dendrobium nutans Presl, Geodorum semicristatum Lindley.

• Philippines: kula (Tagalog), bandabok (Bisaya), lubi-lubi (Panay Bisaya).

Widely distributed in the Philippines and in Taiwan.

The tuberous roots contain a substance which is used as a glue, especially in musical instruments like mandolin and guitar. Medicinally the tuberous parts are used as an emollient poultice.

Terrestrial orchid up to 70 cm tall with underground fleshy rhizome which thickens into globose, pluri-articulate pseudo-bulbs and a shoot with 2-4 large leaves. Leaves erect, articulate, petiolate, convolutive, firmly folded along the mid-vein, narrow and pointed, up to 35 cm × 7 cm. Flowering shoots 20-25 cm long, leafless, ending in a raceme with a top nodding at first but straightening later; flowers numerous, pale pink to purple, about 1 cm long; sepals and petals slightly differing; lip immobile, at right angles to the short column foot and forming a shallow pouch with it; anther proclined with 2 basal appendages; pollinia 2 on a common stipe. G. nutans grows in thickets and open locations up to 300 m altitude. To prepare the glue the rhizomes are first cooked and then finely grated. The glue is said to have a great tenacity. Several other Philippine orchids are used for the same purpose. G. citrinum Jacks. (from Peninsular Malaysia) and G. purpureum R.Br. (from Peninsular Malaysia and Java) can be used similarly.

5, 10, 11, 25.