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Calanthe sylvatica Thouars Lindl. [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
Calanthe sylvatica Thouars Lindl. [family ORCHIDACEAE], Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 250 (1833). —Rchb.f. in Walpers, Ann. Bot. 6: 914 (1864). —Schltr. in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg., Beih. 33: 165 (1925). —Geerinck in Fl. Afr. Centr., Orchidaceae pt. 1: 264 (1984). —Cribb in F.T.E.A., Orchidaceae: 282 (1984). —la Croix et al., Orch. Malawi: 173 (1991). TAB. 94. Type from Mascarene Islands. Centrosis sylvatica Thouars [family ORCHIDACEAE], Hist. Orchid. [Fl. Iles Austr. Afr.]: tab. gen., figs. 35, 36 (1822). Calanthe natalensis Rchb.f. Rchb.f. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bonplandia 4: 322 (1856). —Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 335 (1916). —Wild in Clark, Victoria Falls Handb.: 140 (1952). —Grosvenor in Excelsa 6: 79 (1976). —Williamson, Orch. S. Centr. Africa: 131 (1977). Type from South Africa (Natal). Calanthe corymbosa Lindl. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 6: 129 (1862). —Rolfe in F.T.A. 7: 46 (1897). —Summerhayes in F.W.T.A. ed. 2, 3: 226 (1968). —Grosvenor in Excelsa 6: 79 (1976). —Williamson, Orch. S. Centr. Africa: 130 (1977). Type from Bioko (Fernando Po). Calanthe sanderiana Rolfe [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Gard. Chron., Ser. 3: 396 (1892). —Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 335 (1916). —Morris, Epiphyt. Orch. Malawi: 36 (1975). Calanthe delphinioides Kraenzl. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 17: 55 (1893). —Rolfe in F.T.A. 7: 46 (1897). Type from Cameroon. Calanthe volkensii Rolfe [family ORCHIDACEAE], in F.T.A. 7: 46 (1897). Type from Tanzania. Calanthe neglecta Schltr. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 570 (1915). Type from Tanzania. Calanthe stolzii Schltr. [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 569 (1915). Type from Tanzania. Calanthe schliebenii Mansfeld [family ORCHIDACEAE], in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 11: 808 (1933). Type from Tanzania.
Information
Large terrestrial herb up to 70 cm tall.Pseudobulbs rather obscure, 2–5 × 1.5 cm, conical, with 4–5 nodes.Leaves 3–5 ± rosulate, suberect to spreading; leaf up to 35 × 12 cm, lanceolate, acute, plicate, dark green; petiole 5–25 cm long.Peduncle slightly pubescent with 2 sheath-like leaves; inflorescence densely several- to many-flowered.Flowers white or purple with orange callus.Pedicel and ovary each 10–15 mm long; bracts 1–3 cm long.Sepals 9–37 × 4–14 mm, lanceolate, acute, the lateral sepals usually slightly longer than the dorsal ones and oblique.Petals 8–25 × 4–14 mm, elliptic or oblanceolate.Lip 3-lobed at the base, 11–15 × 6–25 mm, with 3 ridges at the base.Side lobes auriculate or crescent-shaped, 5–7 mm long; mid-lobe flabellate to obovate, emarginate, sometimes with a small tooth in the sinus.Spur slender, straight or sigmoid, 1–4 cm long.
Habitat
In shade in evergreen and riverine forest, often near streams and in swampy areas
Range
tropical Africatropical Asia
Altitude range
900–1700 m. 1700 900
Distribution
Zambia N Chinsali Distr., Ishiba Ngandu (Shiwa Ngandu), 1500 m, fl. 8.vi.1956, E.A. Robinson 1630 (K).Zimbabwe W Victoria Falls, 900 m, fl. 9.ii.1912, Rogers 5697 (K; PRE).Malawi N Chitipa Distr., Misuku Hills, Mugesse (Mughese) Forest, c. 1700 m, fl. 10.iv.1984, la Croix 614 (K).Mozambique MS SE slopes of Mt. Gorongosa, 1100 m, fl. 25.vii.1970, Müller & Gordon 1456 (K; SRGH).Zambia W Kitwe, Ichimpi, fl. 26.iii.1968, Mutimushi 2583 (K; NDO).Zambia E Lundazi Distr., Nyika Plateau, Chowo Forest, c. 2000 m, fl. Laing (SRGH).Zambia S Victoria Falls, fl. 22.ii.1961, Morze 21 (K).Zimbabwe C Makoni Distr., c. 20 km from Rusape, Chiduku CL (TTL), fl. ii.1967, Masterson in GHS 188, 878 (K; SRGH).Zimbabwe E Mutare Distr., N Vumba Mts., 1120 m, fl. 19.iv.1959, Chase 7102 (K).Malawi C Lilongwe Distr., Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, 1580 m, fl.iii.1984, Dowsett-Lemaire 1115 (K).Malawi S Thyolo Distr., Mwalanthunzi Forest, 1100 m, fl. 31.iii.1984, la Croix 578 (K).
Distribution (external)
South Africa Madagascar Mascarene Islands
Notes
This species is very variable, particularly in size of flower. Populations in any one area tend to have flowers of similar size and colour, for example plants from the southern and central regions of Malawi have white, relatively small flowers, while those from the northern region are larger and always purple-flowered.
Calanthe sylvatica Thouars Lindl. [family ORCHIDACEAE]
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