Premise of research. The monotypic Lowiaceae remains the least-known family in the plant order Zingiberales, yet it may hold an important key to unraveling the phylogenetic placement of the families Musaceae, Heliconiaceae, Strelitziaceae, and Lowiaceae. After nine phylogenetic studies, the (Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae) clade is the only stable clade that has emerged in this half of the order. This study was undertaken to verify the unusual inflorescence and flower structure in Orchidantha and to search for new characters that might be used in future phylogenetic analyses. We describe both inflorescence and flower development in a previously unstudied species; confirm inflorescence morphology in the genus; and compare the structure of the inflorescence in the Lowiaceae with that of the Strelitziaceae, its potential sister group. Methodology. Standard collection and SEM procedures were used to collect and prepare the material for study. Pivotal results. The inflorescence of Orchidantha is borne at the end of a vegetative shoot and is composed of two lateral branches that each bear four bracts and a single flower before aborting. The fourth bract and its associated flower form the highly reduced flower cluster (florescence) that characterizes this genus. In technical terms, Orchidantha has a polytelic synflorescence that lacks a main florescence (it has a truncated polytelic synflorescence) and bears solitary flowers in coflorescences on determinate enriching branches. The enriching branches produce a fixed number of bracts before aborting (i.e., they are special paracladia). Many of these features are shared with the Strelitziaceae. Conclusions. Similarities between the Lowiaceae and Strelitziaceae include inflorescence structure; the presence of a long prolongation of the ovary; and a delay in the formation of the third sepal during flower development, a character that is also shared with the Musaceae. Inflorescence and flower structure is now well established in this small but important family.

中文翻译：

---

Orchidantha Chinese TL WU (LOWIACEAE; ZINGIBERALES) 的花序和花的发育：与鹤望兰科花序结构的相似性

研究的前提。单型 Lowiaceae 仍然是 Zingiberales 植物目中最不为人知的家族，但它可能是解开 Musaceae、Heliconiaceae、Strellitziaceae 和 Lowiaceae 家族系统发育位置的重要关键。经过九次系统发育研究，（Lowiaceae、鹤望兰科）进化枝是这一半目中唯一出现的稳定进化枝。进行这项研究是为了验证 Orchidantha 中不寻常的花序和花结构，并寻找可能用于未来系统发育分析的新特征。我们描述了以前未研究过的物种的花序和花发育；确认该属的花序形态；并比较草科与其潜在姐妹群鹤望科的花序结构。方法。使用标准收集和 SEM 程序收集和准备研究材料。关键结果。Orchidantha 的花序长在营养枝条的末端，由两个侧枝组成，每个侧枝在流产前有四个苞片和一朵花。第四个苞片及其相关花形成高度减少的花簇（花序），这是该属的特征。从技术上讲，兰花有一个多花同花序，没有主花（它有一个截短的多花同花序），并在确定的富集枝上的共花中开有单花。富集分支在流产前产生固定数量的苞片（即，它们是特殊的副枝）。许多这些特征与鹤望兰科共有。结论。Lowiaceae 和 Strelitziaceae 之间的相似之处包括花序结构；卵巢延长的存在; 以及花发育过程中第三萼片形成的延迟，这一特征也与芭蕉科相同。在这个小而重要的家庭中，花序和花结构现在已经很好地建立起来。