Orchidaceae
Brachycorythis

Brachycorythis tanganyikensis Summerh.

First published in Kew Bull. 16: 257 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania (Nguru Mountains). It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 12–26 cm. high, glabrous except for the roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers 1–3, ellipsoid to cylindrical-ellipsoid, 1–3 cm. long, 6–12 mm. in diameter; roots arising above apex of tuber, woolly.
Morphology Stem
Stems 1 or 2, leafy throughout length.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–7, acute, lower 2 or 3 reduced to sheaths, remainder lanceolate or elliptical-lanceolate, up to 9 cm. long, 3.5 cm. broad, decreasing in size up the stem.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3–7 cm. long, loosely 2–7-flowered; bracts leafy, the lower ones very similar to the uppermost leaves, lanceolate, acute, up to 4 cm. long, 2 cm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green, with lip and spur white and with purple markings on lip; pedicel with ovary up to 8 mm. long, angled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect or incurved, orbicular-ovate, obtuse, ± 5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals oblanceolate, obtuse, up to 4 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip-hypochile with inflated bilobulate spur, 4–5 mm. long altogether; epichile broadly obovate, ± 6.5 mm. long, 3-lobed at apex; middle lobe tooth-like, triangular, obtuse, small; side lobes much larger and longer, triangular, incurved, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther-loculi drawn out into a tapering lower part, canals absent but caudicles of pollinia 1.7 mm. long.
Habitat
Upland rain-forest; 1250 m.
Distribution
T6 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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