Orchidaceae
Eulophia

Eulophia ensata Lindl.

First published in Bot. Reg. 14: t. 1147 (1828)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mozambique to S. Africa. It is a pseudobulbous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 30–100 cm tall.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, forming chains.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves about 3, erect, up to 90 × 1.5 cm, linear, acuminate, plicate, partly to fully developed at flowering time.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence short and very densely several- to many-flowered; scape stout, the lower part covered with overlapping sheaths.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel and ovary slender, 12–15 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts up to 30 × 2 mm, lanceolate, long acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers not opening wide, pale to bright yellow, the crests on the lip deeper yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 20 × 4 mm, narrowly oblong to elliptic, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals similar but smaller, c. 15 × 3 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 15 mm long, 3-lobed at about halfway, with 2 broad ridges in the basal half of the lip passing into dense, slender papillae all over the mid-lobe; side lobes oblong; mid-lobe oblong, the apex truncate or emarginate, sometimes mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur 4–7 mm long, cylindrical, very slender.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 6–8 mm long.
[FZ]

Habitat

Grassland, coastal bush

General Description

Terrestrial herb 30–100 cm tall.Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, forming chains.Leaves about 3, erect, up to 90 × 1.5 cm, linear, acuminate, plicate, partly to fully developed at flowering time.Inflorescence short and very densely several- to many-flowered; scape stout, the lower part covered with overlapping sheaths.Pedicel and ovary slender, 12–15 mm long; bracts up to 30 × 2 mm, lanceolate, long acuminate.Flowers not opening wide, pale to bright yellow, the crests on the lip deeper yellow.Sepals c. 20 × 4 mm, narrowly oblong to elliptic, acute.Petals similar but smaller, c. 15 × 3 mm.Lip 15 mm long, 3-lobed at about halfway, with 2 broad ridges in the basal half of the lip passing into dense, slender papillae all over the mid-lobe; side lobes oblong; mid-lobe oblong, the apex truncate or emarginate, sometimes mucronate.Spur 4–7 mm long, cylindrical, very slender.Column 6–8 mm long.

[E-EM]

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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images