Orchidaceae
Epipactis

Epipactis africana Rendle

First published in J. Bot. 33: 252 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Ethiopia to N. Mozambique. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix and P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:1. 1995

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 1–2.5 m tall; stem purplish, leafy throughout its length.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves dark green, 16–21 × 3.5–10 cm, lanceolate to ovate, plicate, acuminate, clasping the stem at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence an elongated few- to many-flowered raceme; rhachis, bracts, ovary and pedicel with a rusty pubescence; pedicel 1.8–3 cm long; ovary 1.3–2 cm long; bracts 4–5.5 cm long, leaf-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pendent, yellow-green with purple veining on the sepals; lip maroon-brown to brick red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal 20–27 × 4.5–7 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; lateral sepals 20–27 × 7–9 mm, obliquely ovate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 16–24 × 2.5–6 mm, lanceolate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 16–20 mm long, 3-lobed near the base; side lobes 9 × 2 mm, oblanceolate, subacute, parallel to hypochile; hypochile channelled, 7–10 mm long, 3 mm wide; epichile 9–10 × 4.5 mm, ovate, acute, with a fleshy area at the tip, bent upwards almost at a right angle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 5–9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules purplish, 40 × 13 mm, narrowly oblong, 6-ribbed, pendulous, with the remains of the flowers at the apex.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
An erect terrestrial herb up to 3.5 m. tall, ferruginous-pubescent in most parts.
Morphology Stem
Stem up to 1 cm. broad at base, 2 cm. broad in middle, purple-green below, deep blue-green above.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves recurved, evenly spaced along stem at 5–10 cm. intervals, lanceolate to ovate, subobtuse, strongly veined, ± amplexicaul at base, up to 20 cm. long, 9 cm. broad; lowermost reduced to sheaths; uppermost bract-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence elongate, few–several-flowered; bracts 2–11 cm. long, up to 2 cm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers rather inconspicuous, subcampanulate; sepals greyish purple on outer surface, greenish yellow within, pubescent; petals greenish yellow, purplish tinged on veins and margins; lip yellowish brown; pedicel up to 2 cm. long when ovary matures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal concave, lanceolate, somewhat acuminate, 3-nerved, 2 cm. long, 0.7 cm. broad; lateral sepals oblique, concave at base, broadly ovate, acuminate, up to 2.4 cm. long, 0.8 cm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals glabrous, lanceolate to ovate, acuminate, subfalcate, up to 2.5 cm. long, 0.6 cm. broad, with a warty keeled mid-vein on outer surface.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip up to 2.5 cm. long; hypochile narrowly oblong, concave, 1.2 cm. long, 0.3 cm. broad, warty within; side lobes attached at base, as long as hypochile, linear-oblong, membranous; epichile broadly ovate, acute, 1.3 cm. long, margins forming a suberect callus on either side of midpoint; callus globular, central on epichile, extended to base in a series of warts.
Figures
Fig. 43/1–11, p. 242.
Habitat
Among Pteridium, Erica or coarse grass patches by rivers and in montane evergreen and bamboo forests; 2350–3750 m.
Distribution
K2 K3 K4 K5 T2 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 Zaire to Ethiopia and Malawi
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

  • 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