Orchidaceae
Holothrix

Holothrix longiflora Rolfe

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot. 7: 237 (1889)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 23–53 cm tall.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers 2, up to 3.5 cm long, ovoid, villous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2, one larger than the other, fleshy, appressed to ground, 1.5–7 × 1.5–8.5 cm, heart-shaped to reniform, glossy light green, sparsely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape densely hairy, with several bract-like leaves c. 7 mm long mostly in the upper half.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 6–16 cm long, laxly to fairly densely 6 to many-flowered, flowers ± secund; ovary 3–9 mm long; bracts 4–8 mm long, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, strongly and sweetly scented; sepals green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 6–9 × 3.6–5 mm, ovate, acute, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 16–35 mm long, divided to more than halfway into 9 slender lobes, tapering to become more or less filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip similar, 9–11-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur 3–4 mm long, conical, tightly incurled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther 2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary hairy.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb 15–50 cm. high.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ovoid or ellipsoid, 1–2.5 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. in diameter, densely tomentose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2, basal, the lower broadly ovate to reniform, up to 5.5 cm. long and 8 cm. broad, the upper smaller, ovate to transversely elliptical, up to 5 cm. long and 7 cm. broad, both very sparsely hairy on upper surface, glabrous beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape erect, rather stout, with numerous long weak hairs and a few lanceolate acute sheaths in the upper part.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence ± secund, up to 12 cm. long, rather laxly up to 20-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts lanceolate, acute, shorter than the ovary, densely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, ± spreading.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ovate or lanceolate, acute, 6–9 mm. long, hairy outside and stiffly ciliate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals cuneate, 16–43 mm. long, the upper half divided into 7–11 diverging filamentous lobes, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip fan-shaped or broadly cuneate, 13–38 mm. long, the upper half or third divided into 11–16 filamentous lobes, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur conical, much incurved, 3–3.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary densely hairy.
Figures
Fig. 2.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland or among rocks in grassland; 1200–2200 m.
Distribution
T4 T7
[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