Orchidaceae
Polystachya

Polystachya bicarinata Rendle

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 38: 236 (1908)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Central & E. Tropical Africa. It is a pseudobulbous epiphyte or geophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
A glabrous epiphytic, or rarely terrestrial, herb, 11–55 cm. high.
Vegetative Multiplication Pseudobulbs
Pseudobulbs from a short creeping rhizome, loosely clustered, narrowly to broadly conical, ± ridged, 6–29 cm. long, 2–11 mm. in diameter, clothed in 2–3 basal membranous sheaths.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf ovate to obovate, acute or obtuse, auriculate at the base, 5.6–26 cm. long, 1.6–2.9 cm. broad, coriaceous, articulated 5–8 mm. above the apex of the pseudobulb.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence shorter than the leaf, a 1–6-branched raceme, 7.7–23.5 cm. long, up to 30-flowered; peduncle stout, 3.4–10.2 cm. long; basal sheath membranaceous; bracts spreading, ovate-triangular, apiculate, 5–10.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, pink or purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, apiculate, 8–12.5 mm. long, 3.3–4.4 mm. broad; lateral sepals oblique, triangular, 9–11.5 mm. long, 8–9.5 mm. broad, spreading, strongly erosely keeled on outer side, mentum conical, up to 9 mm. high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals spathulate or linear, acute to obtuse, 7.5–9.5 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip strongly recurved in basal third, ± clawed, distinctly 3-lobed in lower third, 8–10.5 mm. long, 5.5–7.5 mm. broad; side lobes rounded, erect; mid-lobe rounded-subquadrate, shortly apiculate, 2.5–5 mm. long, 2.5–4.5 mm. broad; callus central in apical half.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column semi-terete, 1.5–2.5 mm. long; foot 9–11 mm. long; pollinia quadrate-globose.
Habitat
Upland rain-forest; 1800–2600 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 U2 U3
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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 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