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
Orchidaceae, I. la Croix & P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:2. 1998
Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968
Robust terrestrial herb 50–150 cm tall.Perennating organs pseudobulbous, mostly above ground, 2.5–10 cm tall, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, conical to cylindrical, ribbed, clustered.Roots 4–6 mm in diameter, fleshy, white.Leaves several, forming a fan, blade 40–65 × 0.5–8 cm, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, plicate.Inflorescences rather laxly many-flowered; scape stout with several sheaths along its length.Pedicel and ovary 15–25 mm long, arched so that the flowers face down; bracts 7–20 mm long, lanceolate or ovate, acute or acuminate.Sepals green or yellow-green blotched with brownish-purple, particularly inside; petals bright yellow outside, creamy-yellow inside; lip yellow, the side lobes purple, spur purple-red.Sepals (8)15–18 × (3)6–10 mm, oblanceolate or obovate, apiculate, the laterals slightly longer than the dorsal.Petals (8)13–21 × (8)12.5–20 mm, orbicular or ovate, lying parallel to the column.Lip (8)15–20 mm long, 3-lobed; side lobes 6.5–7 × 4.5–6.5 mm, erect, quite free from the column; mid-lobe 7.5–12 × 7.5–11 mm, the margins folded down, with a crest of 3–5 fleshy ridges down the centre; spur 2–4 mm long, conical, pointing backwards.Column 5–9 mm long, with a foot about 6 mm long.
A terrestrial herb 50–150 cm. tall. Perennating organs pseudobulbous, clustered, conical to cylindric-fusiform, 2.5–10 cm. tall, 1.7–2.5 cm. diameter, covered in first year by leaf-bases; roots 4–6 mm. diameter, white. Leaves 4–9, plicate, in a fan, suberect, lanceolate, acuminate, 40–65 cm. long, 0.4–8 cm. wide. Inflorescence laxly many-flowered; peduncle 9 mm. diameter, with 5–11 sheaths along length; rhachis 15–35 cm. long; bracts lanceolate or ovate, acuminate, 7–20 mm. long, 5–8 mm. wide. Flowers spreading; sepals green or dull yellow veined and mottled with brown; petals yellow; lip darker yellow with reddish purple side lobes and a pale purple spur; column white; pedicel and ovary 15–22 mm. long. Dorsal sepal oblanceolate to elliptic, acute or obtuse, 8–18 mm. long, 3–9.5 mm. wide; lateral sepals similar but longer. Petals elliptic, circular or obovate, obtuse, 8–21 mm. long, 6–17 mm. wide. Lip difficult to flatten, 3-lobed, 8–12 mm. long, 7.5–11 mm. wide; side lobes erect, rounded; mid-lobe conduplicate, obovate or elliptic, 7.5–12 mm. long; callus of 3–5 low fleshy rugulose ridges on mid-lobe; spur conical, tapering to apex, 2–3.5 mm. long, pointing backwards. Column 5–8 mm. long. Fruit pendent, oblong-ellipsoidal, 35–50 mm. long. Pl. 3.
Submontane and dambo grasslands, mixed deciduous woodlands and forest margins, often on rocky outcrops, sometimes on termite mounds
