Orchidaceae
Polystachya

Polystachya holmesiana P.J.Cribb

First published in Kew Bull. 32: 155 (1977)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. DR Congo to Zambia. It is a pseudobulbous epiphyte or lithophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix & P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:2. 1998

Morphology General Habit
Epiphytic, occasionally lithophytic, herb.
Vegetative Multiplication Pseudobulbs
Pseudobulbs clustered, 2.5–4.5 × 1–1.2 cm, oblong, somewhat bilaterally flattened, ribbed, usually with 2 nodes, yellowish, 2–4-leaved.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves distichous, 8–17 × 1–2.4 cm, ligulate, conduplicate, absent or just about to develop at flowering time.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence (floral axis) 12–30 cm tall, pubescent, laxly to c. 15-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel and ovary 8–10 mm long, slightly arched so that the flowers face down.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts up to 6 × 4 mm, broadly ovate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers orange, petals with a red central line, lip with a magenta tip and red veins on the side lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals fleshy, pubescent on outer surface; dorsal sepal 8–9 × 4–6 mm, ovate, acute; lateral sepals 10–12 × 6–8 mm, obliquely triangular, keeled on the outside; mentum 6–10 mm long, rounded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 6 × 2–3 mm, oblanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 8–10 × 7–8 mm, fleshy, hard to flatten, 3-lobed at about halfway with a yellow, clavate pubescent callus at the junction of the lobes; mid-lobe 4 × 3 mm, ovate, papillose; side lobes erect, rounded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column and column foot pubescent, free part c. 1 mm long; anther cap violet.
[FZ]

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: 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

  • 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