Satyrium carsonii Rolfe

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

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial herb 25–65 cm tall; tubers 1–3 cm long, ovoid or ellipsoid, tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Basal leaves 2, appressed to ground, the larger up to 6 × 10 cm, ovate, orbicular or reniform, glabrous, rather fleshy; stem with c. 4 sheathing leaves, 2–6.5 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 4–16 × 3–6 cm, fairly densely few- to c. 20-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers scented, white, the tips of the spurs green.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary c. 10 mm long, with 6 wings.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts up to 30 × 17 mm, reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Sepals and petals projecting or deflexed, joined shortly at base to each other and to the lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Median sepal 7–17 × 3–4 mm, oblong, obtuse; lateral sepals 9–20 × 4.5–7 mm, obliquely oblanceolate, obtuse.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 7–14 × 2.5–5 mm, oblanceolate, rounded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum

Lip 9–16 mm long with 2–3 mm reflexed at apex, 11–14 mm wide when spread out, very convex, forming a hood with a prominent keel.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur

Spurs 8–10 mm long, tapering from a wide mouth to an acute apex, parallel to ovary.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Column 4–7 mm high, curved; stigma 2–3 × 3–4 mm; rostellum mid-lobe 1.5 × 1.5 mm.

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

Morphology General Habit

A terrestrial herb 2.5–6.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.

Vegetative Multiplication Tubers

Tubers ovoid or narrowly ellipsoid, 1–3 cm. long, ± 1 cm. in diameter, tomentose.

Morphology Roots

Roots flexuous, slender, pubescent.

Morphology Stem

Stem erect, terete, with 2 basal leaves and several distant sheaths.

Morphology Leaves

Two basal leaves subopposite, broadly ovate to reniform, adpressed to the ground, 1.5–6 cm. long, 1–9.5 cm. broad; sheathing leaves 3–5, scattered along the stem, lanceolate, 2–6.5 cm. long, 1–2 cm. broad.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence rather dense, 4–15 cm. long, 3–5 cm. in diameter, 3–18-flowered; bracts at first erect, later reflexed, lanceolate, 1.5–3 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers spreading, white; pedicel with ovary straight, ± 1 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals ± deflexed, united shortly at the base to the petals and lip; intermediate sepal oblanceolate or oblong, obtuse, 7.5–17 mm. long, 3–4 mm. broad; laterals obliquely oblanceolate, rounded at apex, 9.5–19 mm. long, 3–7 mm. broad.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals oblanceolate, rounded at apex, 8–15 mm. long, 2.5–5 mm. broad; all tepals several-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum

Lip erect, very convex and almost hooded, with a broad mouth and a projecting ± curved-back apex, 9–16.5 mm. long and ± as broad when spread out, 2-spurred at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur

Spurs parallel to the ovary, ± curved, tapering from a broad base, 6–14 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Column ± enclosed in the lip, bow-shaped towards the back, 4–7 mm. high, the stalk thick, curved; anther-loculi horizontal, within the bend of the column; stigma semi-orbicular, 2–3 mm. high and 3–4 mm. broad, rostellum side lobes short, triangular, the middle lobe much larger, projecting downwards with apical part hooked upwards, ovate, acute.

Habitat

Open grassland or at edge of Brachystegia woodland; 1450–2100 m.

Distribution

K2 K3 K5 T4 T7 T8 U1 Nigeria eastwards to Congo Republic, Zambia and Malawi