Orchidaceae
Polystachya

Polystachya simplex Rendle

First published in J. Bot. 33: 199 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Ethiopia to E. Zimbabwe. It is a pseudobulbous epiphyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
A pendulous epiphytic plant to 50 cm. or more long.
Morphology Stem
Stems (or pseudobulbs) cylindrical or narrowly fusiform, 3–20 cm. long, 3–9 mm. wide, yellow or purple, superposed, given off from the middle of the previous growth.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spreading, somewhat undulate, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, 5–15 cm. long, 1.5 cm. wide, acute or subacute, nerves prominent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3.5–9 cm. long, pubescent, branching or unbranched, shorter than the terminal leaves; bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 0.4–0.7 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green or yellowish green, tinged with brown or mauve, lip yellow marked with purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 4.8 mm. long, 2 mm. wide; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-triangular, acuminate, 5.5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, forming with the column-foot a mentum 2.6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals linear or lanceolate, acute, 3.8 mm. long, 1 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip shortly clawed, 3-lobed above or at the middle, 5 mm. long, 3.8 mm. wide, ecallose or with a slight fleshy thickening between the side lobes; side lobes erect, elliptic, rounded; mid-lobe ovate or rotund, acuminate or apiculate, 2.3 mm. long, 2.2 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column terete, 1.2 mm. long.
Habitat
Epiphyte in montane forest; 1200–1800 m.
Distribution
K4 K5 T2 T3 U1 U2 U3
[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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Pendent, epiphytic herb to c. 50 cm long.
Vegetative Multiplication Pseudobulbs
Pseudobulbs superposed, the new ones arising from about the middle of the pseudobulb produced in the previous season, often hanging in long chains; each pseudobulb 3–20 cm × 3–9 mm, fusiform, c. 4-leaved, yellow or purplish.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–15 × 0.8–1.5 cm, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, glossy green with prominent, often purplish, veins on the underside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence (floral axis) 3.5–9 cm long, pubescent, branched or unbranched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green or yellow-green with reddish veining, the lip creamy-yellow with a purple mid-line.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel and ovary 5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts 4–7 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal 3–4.8 × 2 mm, ovate or lanceolate, acute or acuminate; lateral sepals 5.5–6 × 3 mm, obliquely ovate-triangular, forming a rounded mentum 2.5–3 mm high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 3–3.8 × 1 mm, linear or lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 5 × 3.8 mm, shortly clawed, 3-lobed at about the middle, ecallose or with a slight thickening between the lobes; mid-lobe 2.3 × 2.2 mm, ± orbicular, acuminate or apiculate; side lobes erect, elliptic or oblong, rounded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 1.2 mm long.
[FZ]

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 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