Orchidaceae
Polystachya

Polystachya fusiformis (Thouars) Lindl.

First published in Bot. Reg. 10: t. 851 (1824)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean. It is a pseudobulbous epiphyte or lithophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gulf of Guinea Is., Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Réunion, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Bernet, P. (2010). Orchidées de la Réunion: 1-368. Naturae Amici éditions.
  • Cribb, P., Hermans, J. & Rakotoarinivo, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar: 1-456. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-71827. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hermans, J., Cribb, P.J. & Pailler, T. (2023). Flore des Mascareignes 170(2): 1-511. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
  • Johnson, S. & Bytebier, B. (2015). Orchids of South Africa. A field guide: 1-536. Struik nature, Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Jongkind, C. (2014). Fauna & Flora of Liberia, flowering plant species list www.liberianfaunaflora.org.
  • Mytnik-Ejsmont, J. (2011). A monograph of the subtribe Polystachyinae Schltr. (Orchidaceae): 1-400. Fundacja Rozwoju Uniwersytetu Gdanskiego.
  • Szlachetko, D.L. & Mytnik-Ejsmont, J. (2015). Orchidaceae of West-Central Africa 2: 1-300. Koeltz Scientific books, Koenigsheim, Germany.
  • Velayos, M. & al. (eds.) (2018). Flora de Guinea Ecuatorial 10: 1-491. Consejo superior de investigaciones científicas, Real jardín botánico, Madrid.

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • F.T.A. 7: 129.
  • in Bot. Reg. 10: sub. t. 851 (1824)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Johnson, S. & Bytebier, B. (2015). Orchids of South Africa. A field guide: 1-536. Struik nature, Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Jongkind, C. (2014). Fauna & Flora of Liberia, flowering plant species list www.liberianfaunaflora.org.
  • Mytnik-Ejsmont, J. (2011). A monograph of the subtribe Polystachyinae Schltr. (Orchidaceae): 1-400. Fundacja Rozwoju Uniwersytetu Gdanskiego.
  • Szlachetko, D.L. & Mytnik-Ejsmont, J. (2015). Orchidaceae of West-Central Africa 2: 1-300. Koeltz Scientific books, Koenigsheim, Germany.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Kraenzl. in F. Fedde, Repertorium Speciorum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis, Beih. 39: 101 (1926).
  • Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 10, sub t. 851 (1824).
  • Piers, Orch. E. Afr., ed. 2: 125 (1968).
  • Robyns & Tournay, Flore des Spermatophytes du Parc National Albert. 3: 468 (1955).
  • Rolfe in Flora of Tropical Africa 7: 129 (1897).
  • Stewart in A.D.Q. Agnew, Upland Kenya Wild Flowers p. 766 (1974).
  • Summerh. in Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harv. Univ. 10: 288 (1942)
  • Summerh. in Kew Bulletin 4: 433 (1949).
  • Williamson, Orch. SC. Afr.: 125, fig. 65/20 (1977).

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 2010 Rakotovao, C., et al. [1201] Madagascar K000396174 Yes
Dec 1, 2008 Simo, P. [214] Cameroon K000580403 Yes
Jan 1, 2005 Razanatsoa, H.; Razafindasy, R. [578] Madagascar K000396167 Yes
Mar 1, 2002 Zapfack, L. [731] Cameroon K000027281 No
Mar 1, 2001 Ryan, P. [376] Cameroon K000106979 Yes
Mar 1, 2001 Pollard, B.J. [231] Cameroon K000107054 Yes
Aug 1, 1999 Mackinder, B. [182] Cameroon K000107023 Yes
Aug 1, 1999 Onana, J.-M. [595] Cameroon K000107009 Yes
Mar 1, 1996 Schoenenberger, J. [39] Cameroon K000027297 Yes
Sep 1, 1969 Sanford, W.W. [5668] Cameroon K000106729 Yes
Piers, F. [101] Kenya K:SPC-17593.000 No
Tanner, L. [74] Tanzania K:SPC-36727.000 No
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P. [8959] Tanzania K:SPC-17034.000 No
Moreau, W.M. [103] Tanzania K:SPC-09118.000 No
Zapfack, L.; Sogwa, D. [1167] Cameroon K001518154 Yes
Zapfack, L.; Showacre; Hennelore; Tembe; Ekpe [845] Cameroon K001518155 Yes
Piers, F. [112] Kenya K:SPC-06014.000 No
Gregory, H. [914] Cameroon K:SPC-20051.000 No
Culwick, A. Tanzania K:SPC-09116.000 No
Callens, H. [1155] K:SPC-11313.000 No
Turk, D.; Randrianasolo, J.; Rajoma, M. [739] Madagascar K:SPC-71853.000 No
Milne-Redhead, E. [4660] Congo, Democratic Republic of the K:SPC-17033.000 No
Zapfack, L. [568] Cameroon K001394792 Yes
Letouzey, R. [14189] Cameroon K000106728 Yes
Philcox, D. [10328] Zambia K:SPC-51030.000 No
Madagascar K:SPC-60840.000 No
Madagascar K:SPC-58468.000 No
Drummond, R.B.; Hemsley, J.H. [2098] Tanzania K:SPC-11312.000 No
Madagascar K:SPC-11311.000 No
Germain, R. [3519] Congo, Democratic Republic of the K:SPC-09117.000 No
Holmes, W.D. [O24] Zambia K:SPC-37739.000 No
la Croix, I. [92] Malawi K:SPC-45127.000 No
Humbert, H.; Capuron, R. [28016] Madagascar K000718457 Yes
Harrison, E.R. South Africa K:SPC-32591.000 No
K:SPC-09115.000 No
Doughty, R. Tanzania K:SPC-11317.000 No
Dupuy, D.J.; Cribb, P.; et al. [M779] Madagascar K:SPC-58231.000 No
Johnstone-Stewart, N. [32] Malawi K:SPC-47684.000 No
Madagascar K:SPC-03054.000 No
Johnston-Stewart, N. [34] Malawi K:SPC-42976.000 No
Carroll, E.W. Kenya K:SPC-11316.000 No
la Croix, I. [163] Malawi K:SPC-28934.000 No
Pettersson; Nilsson [131] Madagascar K:SPC-55106.000 No
Milne-Redhead, E. [4370] Zambia K:SPC-17872.000 No

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0