Orchidaceae
Roeperocharis

Roeperocharis wentzeliana Kraenzl.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 30: 283 (1901)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. 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 30–85 cm tall; tubers up to 2 cm long, ellipsoid.
Morphology Stem
Stem leafy; leaves up to 10, the 2 lowermost sheathing, the rest erect, up to 14.5 × 4 cm, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, ribbed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 5–17 × 2–3 cm, densely many-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Ovary and pedicel 8–10 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts leafy, c. 20 mm long, longer than the flower.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, 6.5–10 × 3.5–5 mm, ovate, acute; lateral sepals spreading or reflexed, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, curved upwards, obliquely lanceolate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals erect, 7.5–11 × 3–4 mm, fleshy, obliquely oblong, twisted and folded in the middle, the upper part serrated, the apex indistinct.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 3-lobed; basal undivided part c. 3 mm long; mid-lobe 9.5–12 × 1–1.5 mm, linear, obtuse; side lobes 1.5–4.5 × 0.5 mm, narrowly linear; spur pendent, 4–7 mm, slightly bifid at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 2–2.5 mm long; anther connective 3–4 mm wide, papillose; loculi diverging, 2–3 mm long, canals 1.5–2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic arms papillose, 2-lobed from the base; upper lobe 1.5–3.5 mm long; lower lobe 3–3.5 mm long.
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb 2–7 dm. high, almost entirely glabrous.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ellipsoid or cylindrical, 1–1.5 cm. long, 4–12 mm. in diameter, glabrous or very sparsely pubescent.
Morphology Stem
Stem erect, slender to rather stout, up to 7 mm. in diameter at the base, leafy throughout its length, terete.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 6–10; 1 or 2 lowermost reduced to sheaths, remainder almost erect, linear or lanceolate-linear, acute, the largest 7–23 cm. long and 0.5–2 cm. broad, decreasing in size up the stem, the uppermost similar to the bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence narrow, 3–24 cm. long, 1.5–2.5 cm. in diameter, densely 4-many-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts adpressed to the ovary, lanceolate, acute, 0.7–3.5 cm. long, often longer than the pedicel with ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers suberect, green or yellow-green; pedicel with ovary nearly straight, 7–11 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, convex, lanceolate, acute, 6.5–9 mm. long, 3.5–5 mm. broad; laterals spreading, curved upwards, very obliquely lanceolate with the lower margin much rounded, acuminate, 8–10 mm. long, ± 4.5 mm. broad; all sepals 3–5-nerved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals erect, very oblique, fleshy, irregularly and very obliquely oblong, twisted in the middle and often folded over in the upper part, this part with very irregular toothed or crenate margins and often wider than the lower part, altogether 7.5–11 mm. long, 2.5–4 mm. broad, apex not well defined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip dependent, 3-lobed; undivided basal part oblong, ± 3 mm. long; middle lobe linear, obtuse, 9.5–12 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. broad; side lobes divergent, narrowly linear, 1.5–4.5 mm. long, ± 0.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur dependent, cylindrical, ± bilobulate at apex, 5–7 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column ± 2–2.5 mm. high; anther-connective 3–4 mm. broad, papillose, loculi diverging, 2–3 mm. long, canals very short, auricles elliptical-quadrate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas bilobed from the base, papillose, the lower lobe just over 3 mm. long, upper lobe ± 2 mm. long, often projecting above the connective; rostellum side lobes spreading, tapering, the middle lobe very broad, ± emarginate.
Habitat
In swamps and on rough ground; 1650–2700 m.
Distribution
T3 T7
[FTEA]

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

  • 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