Orchidaceae, I. la Croix & P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:2. 1998
Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968
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
A terrestrial herb 20–30 cm. tall. Perennating organs pseudobulbous, in closely spaced chains, conical, 2–3 cm. tall, 7–10 mm. diameter, 3–4-noded; roots 1.5 mm. diameter. Leaves 2–4, grass-like, 10–30 cm. long, 3–4.5 mm. wide. Inflorescence 2–5-flowered, produced before leaves; peduncle slender, wiry, 1 mm. diameter; rhachis 3.5–7 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 3–5 mm. long. Flowers erect; sepals buff or brown; petals pale yellow-green; lip mauve-pink with a maroon spur; pedicel and ovary 11–17 mm. long. Dorsal sepal linear-oblanceolate, acute, 11–13 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. wide; lateral sepals similar but slightly longer. Petals oblong-elliptic, acute, 8.5–10 mm. long, 3.5–4 mm. wide. Lip 3-lobed in apical half, broadest across basal half, 8–10 mm. long, 9–12 mm. wide; side lobes elliptic; mid-lobe semicircular, obtuse, erose on margin; callus of 3 basal ridges with 3–7 verrucose ridges on mid-lobe in front; spur incurved, cylindrical, 12–13 mm. long. Column 6 mm. long; foot 3 mm. long. Fruit erect, narrowly ellipsoidal, 16–18 mm. long.
Slender terrestrial herb 13–30 cm tall.Perennating organs mostly subterranean, pseudobulbous, 2–3 × 1 cm, conical, with several nodes, set close together in a chain; roots 0.5–2 mm in diameter.Leaves 2–4, 10–30 cm × 1.5–4.5 mm, linear, grass-like, absent or partly developed at flowering time.Inflorescence laxly 1–5-flowered; scape slender and wiry with 1 sheath near base.Pedicel and ovary 11–17 mm long; bracts 3–5 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate.Flowers erect, light brown outside, purple-brown inside; petals cream or yellow-green with brownish veins; lip white or mauve-pink with yellow lamellae, the side lobes heavily veined with purple.Sepals semi-erect, 11–13 × 2.5–3 mm, linear-oblanceolate, acute, the laterals slightly longer than the dorsal.Petals 8.5–10 × 3.5–4 mm, oblong-elliptic, acute.Lip 8–10 mm long, 9–12 mm wide, 3-lobed in the apical half; side lobes erect, elliptic; mid-lobe deflexed, c. 5 × 4 mm, suborbicular, obtuse, the margins erose; callus of 3 basal ridges with 3–7 verrucose ridges on the mid-lobe; spur 10–13 mm long, curving forwards, cylindrical from a wide, funnel-shaped base.Column 6 mm long; foot 3 mm long.Capsule erect, 16–18 mm long, narrowly ellipsoidal.
Open miombo, and dry rocky hillsides
In deciduous woodland or on rocks; 1400–1700 m.
