ABSTRACT
There are around 20 genera of terrestrial orchids in Nigeria, with more than 250 species. Many of these are found in the savanna, where they follow a vegetation cycle similar to that of the terrestrials in temperate climates: the vegetation period starts in the early rains, when many of these plants flower; then follows a period of rest, when the plants wither, during the dry season. There are also genera, Oeceoclades for instance, with well developed pseudobulbs. Many terrestrials have no leaves at the time of flowering; these often develop much later, at the height of the rainy season. Nearly all the species are terrestrial and most inhabit savanna and open grassland. The tuber produces an annual flowering shoot. The stem is unbranched, generally leafy, with a terminal inflorescence which can have one or many flowers.
