Cirrhopetalum

Lindley , Gen. et. Sp. Orch.Pl. (1830), 58 .

Bulbophylleae . VI ,VII, IX . Gr. kirrhos (orange-tawny, pale yellow ), petalon (petal). Lat. cirrus (tendril , fringe). The botanist Stapf was of the opinion that " Lindley .........does not state the derivation of the generic name , which , if correctly spelt ,would mean ' yellow petal '; but it is more probable that the author meant to refer to the long strap -shaped lateral sepals which are the most salient feature of the genus , and , in some of the species , would justify an allusion to the locks or curls of a human head , in which case the proper spelling would be Cirropetalum from cirrus -a curl." Possibly descriptive of the petals which are fringed in all of the species .