Polystachya heckmanniana Kraenzl.

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Polystachya

Characteristics

A dwarf epiphytic or lithophytic plant to 4.5 cm. high.. Pseudobulbs clustered, ovoid to conical, 0.8–2.7 cm. long, 0.7–1.1 cm. diameter, 3–4-leaved at apex.. Leaves narrowly oblong-elliptic to elliptic, to 3.5 cm. long, 0.7–1.6 cm. wide, obtuse to rounded at apex, dark green above, purple below.. Inflorescence 3–7.5 cm. high. 1–5-flowered; peduncle densely pubescent, terete; bracts lanceolate, 4 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, acuminate.. Flowers large for size of plant, pubescent on outer surface; sepals cream, yellow-green or yellow-brown; lip white or pale green, side lobes veined purple, callus yellow; column white with purple spotting.. Dorsal sepal ovate, 7.3–9.5 mm. long, to 4.5 mm. wide, acute; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-falcate, acuminate, 9.5 mm. long, 7 mm. wide.. Petals oblanceolate, 7.5–8.5 mm. long, 2.8–3.2 mm. wide, obtuse.. Lip shortly clawed, recurved, 3-lobed in the middle, 9.5–13 mm. long, 6.5–7 mm. wide; side lobes erect, subquadrate; mid-lobe much larger than side lobes, recurved, quadrate, 7 mm. long and wide, with a central thickened area and basally clavately hairy; disc and callus sparsely clavately pubescent.. Column stout, 1.6 mm. long; column-foot tapering to base of lip, 8 mm. long, white with yellow-green at apex and purple spotting below.
More
Lip recurved, 17 × 12 mm, 3-lobed at about the middle with a pubescent callus at the junction of the lobes; mid-lobe c. 10 × 10 mm, quadrate, the edge undulate; side lobes erect.
Flowers large for the size of plant, pubescent on the outside, greenish-yellow or lime-green, the lip white with a yellow or lime-green mid-line, the side lobes purple-veined.
Dorsal sepal 13 × 7 mm, ovate; lateral sepals 15–20 × 9 mm, obliquely triangular; mentum 9 mm high, conical, slightly bifid.
Pseudobulbs 6–15 × 8–13 mm, oblong, slightly bilaterally flattened, glossy pale green, sometimes purple-tinged, 2–4-leaved.
Leaves 3–5.5 × 1–2 cm, elliptic, glaucous green, sometimes tinged with purple.
Dwarf epiphytic or lithophytic herb, forming chains of pseudobulbs.
Inflorescence (floral axis) to c. 5 cm high, 1–3-flowered.
Column 1.6 mm long, purple at the base, stout.
Bracts 4 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate.
Peduncle c. 1.6 cm long, pubescent.
Pedicel and ovary c. 8 mm long.
Petals 13 × 3 mm, oblanceolate.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support epiphyte
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.05
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

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

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
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Distribution

Polystachya heckmanniana world distribution map, present in Kenya and Tanzania, United Republic of

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:654355-1
WFO ID wfo-0000280409
COL ID 4LM9M
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Polystachya heckmanniana