Orchidaceae
Nervilia

Nervilia adolphi Schltr.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 552 (1915)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
An erect low-growing herb 5–8 cm. high, glabrous except for the tuber and roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tuber globose, 1–1.5 cm. diameter.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf prostrate to suberect, reniform, very cordate at base, obscurely 7-angled, glabrous, 3 to 3.5 cm. long, 4.3 to 6 cm. wide, above shiny green, sometimes tessellated with silver, ± striped violet on margins and veins beneath; petiole short, 3 cm. long, sulcate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape erect, terete, violet-purple, 1-flowered at apex, with 2–3 sheathing cataphylls, lengthening considerably after the flower dies.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower small, suberect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals spreading, recurved after anthesis, ligulate, 1.5 cm. long, acute, light brown; lateral sepals subsimilar, oblique.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals shorter than sepals and narrower towards base, light brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip oblong, trilobed in middle, 1.5 cm. long, 0.7 cm. wide, white or rose coloured, spotted purple-violet, with 2 papillose parallel ridges in basal half, confluent on mid-lobe; lateral lobes short, erect, obtuse; mid-lobe elliptic, ovate or rotund, concave, 0.8 cm. long, subacute or obtuse, margins slightly incurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column clavate, glabrous, 0.7 cm. long; ovary clavate, glabrous, 0.7 cm. long.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect terrestrial herb 2–10(13) cm tall, glabrous except for subterranean parts.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tuber 6–15 mm in diameter, subspherical or ovoid,(2)3(4)-noded.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf solitary, appearing after flowering, prostrate to suberect (blade up to 5 cm above litter surface), glabrous, 1.8–5.5 × 2–6.5 cm, broadly cordate or reniform, subacute to obtuse, dark olive-green above and purple beneath, or shiny green above, sometimes tessellate with silver, and green or ± purple beneath; veins (5)7–9; petiole c. 0–5 cm long, sulcate with 1–2 sheathing cataphylls.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape erect, terete, 1-flowered, with 2 sheathing cataphylls, lengthening to 8.6–21 cm when fruiting; bract 1.5–5.5(10.5) mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, ± horizontal, fragrant.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Sepals and petals spreading, closing again after about 8 hours anthesis, subequal, ligulate, acute, brownish-green; lateral sepals slightly oblique, 10–22 × 2.5–3.5 mm; petals slightly narrower than sepals.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 9.5–20 × 4–7 mm, oblong, 3 -lobed, white to pale pink with purple-violet shortly papillate markings; lateral lobes short, obtuse, erect, tightly clasping the column; mid-lobe (=epichile) 3–9.5 mm long, ovate, with a convex central ridge and an incurved margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column almost straight, 6–10 mm long, clavate, pubescent on ventral side; pollinia yellow, 2–3 mm long; ovary 2–7 mm long; capsule 7.5–10 × 4–5 mm.
[FZ]

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:1. 1968

Morphology General Habit
A small terrestrial or chid 2-8 in. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers greenish-yellow or yellowish, tinged and marked mauve
Morphology Leaves
Leaves reniform, green above, tinged purple beneath.
[FWTA]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • 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