https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Disperis_monophyllaDisperis monophylla - Revision history2026-07-31T21:02:59ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Disperis_monophylla&diff=497393&oldid=prevAshok Hathrasi at 15:11, 1 May 20262026-05-01T15:11:52Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Species of orchid endemic to India}}<br />
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{{Speciesbox<br />
| image = <br />
| image_caption = <br />
| genus = Disperis<br />
| species = monophylla<br />
| authority = [[Blatt.]] ex [[C.E.C.Fisch.]]<ref name=GBIF>{{GBIF |title=''Disperis monophylla'' Blatt. ex C.E.C.Fisch. |id=2805055 |access-date=1 May 2026}}</ref><br />
| synonyms = {{species list|Disperis monophylla |Blatt.}}<br />
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=GBIF/><br />
}}<br />
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'''''Disperis monophylla''''' is a species of flowering plant in the family [[Orchidaceae]]. It is a terrestrial orchid endemic to India and is assigned to the genus ''[[Disperis]]'', a group of orchids distributed primarily in tropical Africa and parts of Asia.<ref name="powo">{{cite POWO |title=''Disperis monophylla'' Blatt. ex C.E.C.Fisch. |id=60447292-2 |access-date=26 April 2026}}</ref><br />
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== Taxonomy ==<br />
The species was [[species description|first formally described]] by [[Ethelbert Blatter]] in 1928 in [[Cecil Ernest Claude Fischer]]'s ''Flora of the Presidency of Madras''.<ref name="powo" /><br />
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The identity of ''Disperis monophylla'' remained unclear for many decades and it was often overlooked or confused with related species such as ''Disperis neilgherrensis''. It has since been reinstated as a distinct species following recent taxonomic study.<ref name="yadav2024">{{cite journal |last1=Yadav |first1=P.B.S. |last2=Karuppusamy |first2=S. |last3=Chelladurai |first3=V. |year=2024 |title=Rediscovery and taxonomy of a rare species Disperis monophylla (Orchidaceae) |journal=Environmental and Experimental Biology |volume=22 |pages=179–183 |doi=10.22364/eeb.22.17 |doi-access=free}}</ref><br />
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== Description ==<br />
''Disperis monophylla'' is a small terrestrial orchid with underground tubers. It is characterised by a single leaf, typically broadly ovate to cordate in shape, from which the specific epithet ''monophylla'' (meaning "one-leaved") is derived.<br />
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The plant produces a short flowering stem bearing one to three flowers. The flowers are resupinate, greenish-white with striped markings that may become purplish with age. Floral structures include a specialised lip and spur typical of the genus, adapted for pollination.<ref name="yadav2024" /><br />
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== Distribution and habitat ==<br />
The species is endemic to India and is known from the southern [[Western Ghats]], particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.<ref name="powo" /><ref name="yadav2024" /><br />
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It grows in shaded evergreen forest habitats, typically in humus-rich soils at elevations above {{cvt|1000|m}}. It is often associated with moist understory conditions and moss-rich environments.<ref name="yadav2024" /><br />
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== Ecology ==<br />
Like other orchids, ''Disperis monophylla'' is likely dependent on symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi for seed germination and nutrient uptake.<br />
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Although specific pollinators have not been documented, species of ''Disperis'' are generally adapted for specialised insect pollination.<br />
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== Conservation ==<br />
''Disperis monophylla'' has historically been considered a rare species, having been known only from early 20th-century collections and rediscovered after several decades.<ref name="yadav2024" /><br />
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However, its current distribution and population status remain insufficiently documented, and further field studies are required to accurately assess its abundance and conservation status.<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q15455845}}<br />
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[[Category:Orchideae]]<br />
[[Category:Orchids of India]]<br />
[[Category:Plants described in 1928]]</div>Ashok Hathrasi