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Brachycorythis pleistophylla Rchb.f. [family ORCHIDACEAE]

Date Updated: 26 July 2007

Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 11, Part 1, (1995) Author: I. la Croix and P.J. Cribb
Names
Brachycorythis pleistophylla Rchb.f. [family ORCHIDACEAE], Otia Bot. Hamburg: 104 (1881). —Rolfe in F.T.A. 7: 202 (1898). —Kraenzlin, Orch. Gen. Sp. 1: 540 (1898). —Schlechter in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 38, abt. 2: 117 (1921). —Summerhayes in Bot. Not. 1937: 182 (1937). —H. Perrier in Fl. Madag., Orch. 1: 8 (1939). —Summerhayes in Kew Bull. 10: 253 (1955). —Goodier & Phipps in Kirkia 1: 53 (1961). —Summerhayes in F.T.E.A., Orchidaceae: 22 (1968). —Moriarty, Wild Fls. Malawi: t. 27, 4 (1975). —Grosvenor in Excelsa 6: 78 (1976). —Williamson, Orch. S. Centr. Africa: 32, t 33 (1977). —Geerinck in Fl. Afr. Centr., Orchidaceae pt. 1: 36 (1984). —la Croix et al., Orch. Malawi: 31 (1991). Type: Mozambique, Morrumbala Mt., Kirk s.n. (K, holotype). Platanthera pleistophylla Rchb.f. Schltr. [family ORCHIDACEAE], Westafr. Kautschuk-Exped.: 274 (1900). Brachycorythis briartiana Kraenzl. [family ORCHIDACEAE], [apud De Wild. & Duv.] in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. 38: 219 (1900). Type from Zaire. Brachycorythis pulchra Schltr. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 485 (1915) pro parte. —Suessenguth & Merxmüller, Contrib. Fl. Marandellas Distr.: 82 (1951). Type from Tanzania. Brachycorythis perrieri Schltr. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 34, abt. 2: 296 (1916); op. cit. 38, abt. 2: 118 (1921). Type from Madagascar. Brachycorythis macclouniei Braid [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bull. Misc. Inform., Kew 1925: 357 (1925). Type: Malawi, Mt. Mulanje, Oct. 1895, McClounie s.n. (K, holotype).
Information
Terrestrial herb 36–90 cm tall with fleshy, woolly, cylindrical roots.Leaves numerous, overlapping, up to 10 × 1.5 cm, lanceolate, acuminate, the largest in the middle of the stem.Inflorescence 12–25 × 2.5–4.5 cm, usually densely many-flowered; ovary and pedicel up to 18 mm long; bracts leaf-like, up to 3 cm long.Flowers mauve-purple to purple.Sepals ovate or elliptic; dorsal sepal 5.5–8.3 × 2–4.6 mm; lateral sepals (5)6–9 × 3.5–5.5 mm, rather oblique.Petals 6–8.4 × 3.7–8 mm, semi-orbicular to obliquely orbicular, standing forwards.Lip 11–15 mm long; hypochile boat-shaped, 2–3 mm long; epichile 8–13 × 6.6–14.4, horizontal, upcurved at apex, 3-lobed with the mid-lobe very small and tooth-like, the lateral lobes folded down.Column stout, c. 2 mm long.
Brachycorythis pleistophylla Rchb.f. [family ORCHIDACEAE]
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