Bonatea rabaiensis Rolfe

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Bonatea

Characteristics

A terrestrial herb 2.5–5 dm. high, almost glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers not seen, but probably tomentose.. Stem nearly erect, rather stout, leafy along its entire length, ± 5 mm. in diameter at the base.. Leaves 8–9, the lowermost 1–2 bract-like, the middle leaves ± spreading, lanceolate, elliptical-lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute, the apex itself mucronate, the largest 6–11 cm. long and 3–4.5 cm. broad, the uppermost much smaller, similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence 5–11 cm. long, 6–11 cm. in diameter, rather loosely 3–7-flowered.. Bracts scarious, lanceolate, acuminate, 1-2.5 cm. long, usually less than half as long as the pedicel with ovary.. Flowers spreading or half-spreading, green and white; pedicel with ovary straight, 3.5–5 cm. long.. Dorsal sepal erect or incurved, very convex, ovate, acute, 1.7–2 cm. long, ± 1.3 cm. broad; laterals deflexed, united to the lip and stigmatic arms for ± 1 cm., very obliquely lanceolate-ovate, acuminate, ± 2 cm. long and nearly 1 cm. broad.. Petals bipartite nearly to the base; posterior (upper) lobe erect, adherent to the dorsal sepal, linear, 1.5–2 cm. long, ± 1.5 mm. broad; anterior lobe adnate to the lip for ± 7 mm., above this curved upwards and outwards, linear, narrowed upwards, 2.5–3 cm. long.. Lip deflexed, tripartite from a narrow basal part 1–1.5 cm. long; middle lobe linear-ligulate, subacute, 1.5–2 cm. long, 1–2 mm. broad; side lobes linear, 2.5–3 cm. long, only 1 mm. broad.. Spur dependent, swollen in the apical half, 5–6.5 cm. long.. Anther erect, with a long apiculum, ± 1 cm. high, loculi parallel, canals porrect, slender, just over 1 cm. long.. Stigmatic arms curved downwards a little, ±1.5 cm. long, adnate to the lip to above their middle, free part club-shaped.. Rostellum placed in front of the anther and nearly as long, very convex and hooded, ± 8 mm. high, 3-lobed, with the middle lobe much incurved and ciliolate, the side lobes porrect, 2.5 mm. long, not much overtopping the hood.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.25 - 0.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Bonatea rabaiensis world distribution map, present in Kenya and Tanzania, United Republic of

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:617871-1
WFO ID wfo-0000349950
COL ID MH79
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Bonatea rabaiensis Habenaria rabaiensis