Volume 26, Issue 78, July - December, 2025

Reinstatement of the genus Xenikophyton Garay (Orchidaceae - Aeridinae), endemic to Peninsular India

Mathew Jose Mathew¹, Jose Mathew^2,5♦, Salim M. Pichan³, Dariusz L. Szlachetko⁴

¹Joannah’s Orchids, Pettayil Heights, Thengakal, Vandiperiyar, Idukki – 685533, Kerala, India
²Department of Botany, Sanatana Dharma College, Alappuzha – 688003, Kerala, India
³MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Puthurvayal, Kalpetta, Wayanad – 673577, Kerala, India
⁴Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Gdańsk University, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
⁵Research Department of Botany, University of Kerala, Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram – 695581, Kerala, India

^♦Corresponding Author
Jose Mathew, Department of Botany, Sanatana Dharma College, Alappuzha – 688003, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT

In 1974, Leslie Andrew Garay introduced the peninsular Indian genus Xenikophyton (Orchidaceae - Aeridinae) by placing X. smeeanum (Rchb.f.) Garay, based on the material in K, A.M. Smee s.n. (basionym: Saccolabium smeeanum Rchb.f.). The second element of the genus, X. seidenfadenianum M. Kumar, S. Seq. & J. Wood was published in 2002. In 2014, Jalal et al., subsumed the genus into Schoenorchis Reinw. ex Blume. But, considering the detailed morphological studies, revision of type material, herbarium specimens, along with genetic analyses, has revealed that Xenikophyton is morphologically and genetically distinct from Schoenorchis. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support that Xenikophyton is monophyletic, sister to Seidenfadenia mitrata and not to Schoenorchis. In this paper, we reinstate the genus Xenikophyton, with a comprehensive taxonomic discussion to substantiate it, along with the proposal to reject the misapplied name Schoenorchis smeeana (Rchb. f.) Jalal, Jayanthi & Schuit.

Keywords: Schoenorchis, South Western Ghats, Taxonomy, Xenikophyton

Species, 2026, 27(79), e12s3273

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Published: 18 May 2026