Orchidaceae

Sphyrarhynchus Mansf.

First published in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 12: 706 (1935)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Kenya to S. Tropical Africa.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
Dwarf epiphytic monopodial herbs
Morphology Stem
Stems very short, covered by sheathing leaf-bases
Morphology Leaves
Leaves distichous, fleshy-coriaceous, linear-elliptic
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 1–many, shorter than to longer than the leaves, densely few-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large for size of plant, white with a green mark on the lip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Sepals and petals free, subsimilar
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip deflexed, entire, spurred at the base; spur pendent, clavate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column short, fleshy; rostellum porrect, hammer-shaped, 2-lobed; pollinia 2, globose; stipites 2, small, very short, filiform; viscidium obovate, large.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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