Nervilia, commonly known as shield orchids, is a genus of orchids with about 80 species widely distributed across most of sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Indochina, Indonesia, etc.), Australia, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Six species occur in Australia (2 or 3 of these endemic), with 16 in India,Orchid Kerala, Nervilia 10 in ChinaFlora of China v 25 p 197, 芋兰属 yu lan shu, Nervilia Commerson ex Gaudichaud, Voy. Uranie, Bot. 421. 1829. and 5 in South Africa.Plants of Southern Africa: an Online Check List
Description Orchids in the genus Nervilia are terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herbs with an oval to almost spherical tuber and sometimes a few short roots. One or two flowers are borne on an erect, fleshy, leafless flowering stem. When flowering the plants lack leaves, but a single erect or ground-hugging leaf develops after the flower has fully opened. The leaves are usually wrinkled or crumpled with distinct, fan-like veins, giving rise to the genus name. The flowers are often short-lived, lasting for only a few days. The sepals and petals are similar, but the labellum is prominent and often composed of three lobes. The genus is poorly understood, mainly because the flower and leaf are present at different times, so that herbarium specimens are often incomplete.
Taxonomy and naming The genus Nervilia was first formally described in 1827 by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré after an unpublished description by Philibert Commerson. The description was published in his book Voyage autour du monde. The name Nervilia is derived from the Latin word nervus meaning "nerve", referring to the veined leaves.
Nervilia is the sole member of its subtribe, the Nerviliinae.
Species list The following is a list of species of Nervilia recognised by the Plants of the World Online as of April 2025:
Nervilia acuminata (J.J.Sm.) Schltr. Nervilia adolphi Schltr. Nervilia affinis Schltr. Nervilia alishanensis T.C.Shu, S.W.Chung & C.M.Kuo Nervilia appressifolia Aver. & V.C.Nguyen Nervilia ballii G.Will. Nervilia bandana (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia beumeei J.J.Sm. Nervilia bicarinata (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia borneensis (J.J.Sm.) Schltr.1 Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia cumberlegii Seidenf. & Smitinand Nervilia dilatata (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia falcata (King & Pantl.) Schltr. Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schltr. Nervilia fuerstenbergiana Schltr. Nervilia futago S.W.Gale & T.Yukawa Nervilia gammieana (Hook.f.) Pfitzer Nervilia gleadowii A.N.Rao Nervilia gracilis Aver. Nervilia grandiflora Schltr. Nervilia hirsuta (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia hispida Blatt. & McCann Nervilia holochila (F.Muell.) Schltr. Nervilia hookeriana (King & Pantl.) Schltr. Nervilia hungii Tuyama Nervilia ignobilis Tuyama Nervilia infundibulifolia Blatt. & McCann Nervilia jacksoniae Rinehart & Fosberg Nervilia juliana (Roxb.) Schltr. Nervilia kasiensis S.W.Gale & Phaways. Nervilia khaoyaica Suddee, Wattana & S.W.Gale Nervilia khasiana (King & Pantl.) Schltr. Nervilia kotschyi (Rchb.f.) Schltr. Nervilia lanyuensis S.S.Ying Nervilia leguminosarum Jum. & H.Perrier Nervilia lilacea Jum. & H.Perrier Nervilia linearilabia T.P.Lin Nervilia mackinnonii (Duthie) Schltr. Nervilia macroglossa (Hook.f.) Schltr. Nervilia macrophylla Schltr. Nervilia maculata (E.C.Parish & Rchb.f.) Schltr. Nervilia maliana Schltr. Nervilia marmorata S.W.Gale, Suddee & Duangjai Nervilia multinervis Cavestro Nervilia muratana S.W.Gale & S.K.Wu Nervilia nipponica Makino Nervilia oxyglossa Fukuy. Nervilia palawensis Schltr. Nervilia pallidiflora Schltr.1 Nervilia pangteyana Jalal, Kumar & G.S.Rawat Nervilia parishiana (King & Pantl.) Schltr. Nervilia pectinata P.J.Cribb Nervilia peltata B.Gray & D.L.Jones Nervilia petaloidea Carr Nervilia petraea (Afzel. ex Sw.) Summerh. Nervilia platychila Schltr. Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr. Nervilia pubilabia T.C.Hsu, C.W.Chen & Luu Nervilia pudica (Ames) W.Suarez Nervilia punctata (Blume) Makino Nervilia purpureotincta T.C.Hsu Nervilia renschiana (Rchb.f.) Schltr. Nervilia sciaphila Schltr. Nervilia septemtrionarius T.P.Lin Nervilia seranica J.J.Sm. Nervilia shirensis (Rolfe) Schltr. Nervilia similis Schltr. Nervilia simplex (Thouars) Schltr. Nervilia singaporensis Niissalo Nervilia stolziana Schltr. Nervilia subintegra Summerh. Nervilia tahanshanensis T.P.Lin & W.M.Lin Nervilia taitoensis (Hayata) Schltr. Nervilia taiwaniana S.S.Ying Nervilia trangensis S.W.Gale, Suddee & Duangjai Nervilia trichophylla Fukuy. Nervilia umenoi Fukuy. Nervilia umphangensis Suddee, Rueangr. & S.W.Gale Nervilia uniflora (F.Muell.) Schltr. Nervilia viridis S.W.Gale, Watthana & Suddee Nervilia winckelii J.J.Sm.
Nervilia simplex var. himachalensis has been described, but is not accepted by Plants of the World Online.
References
External links Nervilia - Commerson ex Gaudichaud-Beaupre