Orchidaceae
Eulophia

Eulophia arenicola Schltr.

First published in O.Warburg (ed.), Kunene-Sambesi Exped.: 217 (1903)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. DR Congo to Botswana. It is a pseudobulbous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix & P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:2. 1998

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4.6–7 × 3.6–4.3 mm, broadly ovate or suborbicular, apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 7–8.3 mm long, 3-lobed, with 2 prominent yellow calli in the throat; side lobes erect, joined to the column for part of their length; mid-lobe 3.7–4.5 × 3.7–4.2 mm, bent down at the junction of the lobes; spur 1.5–3 mm long, conical, horizontal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 3 mm long.
Morphology General Habit
Slender terrestrial herb 10–40 cm tall, flowering when leafless.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, c. 12 mm high, 15 mm long, onion-shaped, forming a short chain.
Note
Withered remnants of previous year’s leaves may be present.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves several, 4–5 × 1 cm, ligulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence rather laxly up to about 12-flowered; scape with 3 scarious bracts, the lowest 2 sheathing.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel and ovary 10 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts scarious, 3–7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Sepals green, flushed with purple; petals yellow-green, purple-veined inside; lip mainly purple with 2 yellow calli, spur yellow-green, purple-tipped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5–6.5 × 1.5–3 mm, oblanceolate, apiculate, the dorsal erect, the laterals spreading or reflexed.
[FZ]

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]

General Description

Slender terrestrial herb 10–40 cm tall, flowering when leafless.Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, c. 12 mm high, 15 mm long, onion-shaped, forming a short chain.Withered remnants of previous year’s leaves may be present.Leaves several, 4–5 × 1 cm, ligulate.Inflorescence rather laxly up to about 12-flowered; scape with 3 scarious bracts, the lowest 2 sheathing.Pedicel and ovary 10 mm long; bracts scarious, 3–7 mm long.Sepals green, flushed with purple; petals yellow-green, purple-veined inside; lip mainly purple with 2 yellow calli, spur yellow-green, purple-tipped.Sepals 5–6.5 × 1.5–3 mm, oblanceolate, apiculate, the dorsal erect, the laterals spreading or reflexed.Petals 4.6–7 × 3.6–4.3 mm, broadly ovate or suborbicular, apiculate.Lip 7–8.3 mm long, 3-lobed, with 2 prominent yellow calli in the throat; side lobes erect, joined to the column for part of their length; mid-lobe 3.7–4.5 × 3.7–4.2 mm, bent down at the junction of the lobes; spur 1.5–3 mm long, conical, horizontal.Column 3 mm long.

Habitat

Plateau grasslands, dambo, floodplain grassland and montane dry grasslands, often after fire, often in sandy soil, also in rocky places under trees and in Cryptosepalum woodland on Kalahari Sand

[E-EM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Eulophiinae: e-monocot.org

    • All Rights Reserved

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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 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