Polystachya suaveolens P.J.Cribb

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Polystachya

Characteristics

An erect caespitose herb to 26 cm. high, with many thick glabrous greyish roots to 4 mm. in diameter.. Stems slender, obscurely pseudobulbous at base; pseudobulbs ovoid, 0.5 cm. long and wide, 2-or more leaved.. Leaves linear, suberect, acute, 16 cm. long, 0.5 cm. wide, articulated at base of lamina to a tubular sheath to 7 cm. long.. Inflorescence erect, branched, several-flowered, 9 cm. or more long; rhachis completely covered by tubular scarious acute sheaths; branches suberect and short; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 3 mm. long.. Flowers subglabrous, with greenish yellow sepals edged with crimson, yellow petals and a crimson callus, with a spicy scent; pedicel and ovary densely pubescent, almost villose.. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, subacute, 7 mm. long, 2 mm. wide; lateral sepals lanceolate, oblique, subacute, 8 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide, forming with the column-foot a low subconical mentum 2.5 mm. high.. Petals oblanceolate, truncate, obscurely apiculate at the apex, 6 mm. long, 1.2 mm. wide.. Lip shortly clawed, 3-lobed in basal half, minutely pubescent at the base only, 6.1 mm. long, 5.1 mm. wide; side lobes porrect, elliptic, rounded at apex; mid-lobe obcordate-subquadrate, apiculate, margin somewhat undulate, 3 mm. long, 4.5 mm. wide.. Column stout, 5 mm. long including the foot; stigma transversely oblong; anther-cap hemispherical.. Fig. 80, p. 380.
More
Lip 6–8 × 5 mm, slightly recurved, minutely pubescent at the base, shortly clawed, 3-lobed about halfway; mid-lobe 3–5 × 3–5 mm, ± quadrate, reflexed and apiculate at the apex, with undulate margins; side lobes 1.5 mm long, elliptic, rounded.
Inflorescence (floral axis) 9–16 cm long, often shorter than the leaves, with a few short branches, several-flowered. Rhachis covered with tubular, scarious sheaths.
Dorsal sepal 6–7 × 2–3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, subacute; lateral sepals 8 × 3 mm, obliquely lanceolate, subacute, forming a ± conical mentum 2.5–3 mm high.
Flowers primrose-scented, minutely pubescent on the mentum, otherwise glabrous; sepals greenish, petals yellow, lip white with 2 red marks on the callus.
Leaves 13–16 cm × 4–6 mm, linear, minutely 2-lobed at the apex, often tinged with purple, articulated at the base to a tubular sheath up to 7 cm long.
Pseudobulbs small and obscure, c. 5 × 5 mm, green, ovoid, usually 2-leaved; roots stout, 3–5 mm in diameter.
Petals 6 × 1.5 mm, oblanceolate, truncate, ± apiculate.
Bracts 2–3 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate.
Pedicel and ovary 7 mm long, pubescent.
Erect epiphytic herb 30–35 cm tall.
Column 5 mm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support epiphyte
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
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Mature height (meter) 0.26
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Environment

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Usage

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

Cultivation

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Distribution

Polystachya suaveolens world distribution map, present in Tanzania, United Republic of

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:654546-1
WFO ID wfo-0000280648
COL ID 6W6SJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Isochilostachya suaveolens Polystachya suaveolens