Epipactis africana Rendle

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Epipactis

Characteristics

An erect terrestrial herb up to 3.5 m. tall, ferruginous-pubescent in most parts.. Stem up to 1 cm. broad at base, 2 cm. broad in middle, purple-green below, deep blue-green above.. Leaves recurved, evenly spaced along stem at 5–10 cm. intervals, lanceolate to ovate, subobtuse, strongly veined, ± amplexicaul at base, up to 20 cm. long, 9 cm. broad; lowermost reduced to sheaths; uppermost bract-like.. Inflorescence elongate, few–several-flowered; bracts 2–11 cm. long, up to 2 cm. broad.. Flowers rather inconspicuous, subcampanulate; sepals greyish purple on outer surface, greenish yellow within, pubescent; petals greenish yellow, purplish tinged on veins and margins; lip yellowish brown; pedicel up to 2 cm. long when ovary matures.. Dorsal sepal concave, lanceolate, somewhat acuminate, 3-nerved, 2 cm. long, 0.7 cm. broad; lateral sepals oblique, concave at base, broadly ovate, acuminate, up to 2.4 cm. long, 0.8 cm. broad.. Petals glabrous, lanceolate to ovate, acuminate, subfalcate, up to 2.5 cm. long, 0.6 cm. broad, with a warty keeled mid-vein on outer surface.. Lip up to 2.5 cm. long; hypochile narrowly oblong, concave, 1.2 cm. long, 0.3 cm. broad, warty within; side lobes attached at base, as long as hypochile, linear-oblong, membranous; epichile broadly ovate, acute, 1.3 cm. long, margins forming a suberect callus on either side of midpoint; callus globular, central on epichile, extended to base in a series of warts.. Fig. 43/1–11, p. 242.
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Lip 16–20 mm long, 3-lobed near the base; side lobes 9 × 2 mm, oblanceolate, subacute, parallel to hypochile; hypochile channelled, 7–10 mm long, 3 mm wide; epichile 9–10 × 4.5 mm, ovate, acute, with a fleshy area at the tip, bent upwards almost at a right angle.
Inflorescence an elongated few-to many-flowered raceme; rhachis, bracts, ovary and pedicel with a rusty pubescence; pedicel 1.8–3 cm long; ovary 1.3–2 cm long; bracts 4–5.5 cm long, leaf-like.
Capsules purplish, 40 × 13 mm, narrowly oblong, 6-ribbed, pendulous, with the remains of the flowers at the apex.
Dorsal sepal 20–27 × 4.5–7 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; lateral sepals 20–27 × 7–9 mm, obliquely ovate, acuminate.
Leaves dark green, 16–21 × 3.5–10 cm, lanceolate to ovate, plicate, acuminate, clasping the stem at the base.
Flowers pendent, yellow-green with purple veining on the sepals; lip maroon-brown to brick red.
Terrestrial herb 1–2.5 m tall; stem purplish, leafy throughout its length.
Petals 16–24 × 2.5–6 mm, lanceolate, acuminate.
Column 5–9 mm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 2.25 - 3.0
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Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
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Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

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

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
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Optimum temperature (C°) -
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Productivity -

Distribution

Epipactis africana world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, United Republic of, and Uganda

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:633145-1
WFO ID wfo-0000951939
COL ID 6FVJJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Arthrochilium africanum Serapias africana Epipactis excelsa Amesia africana Helleborine africana Epipactis africana