!Acrolophia capensis (P.J.Bergius) Fourc.1932

Plant and Flowers in situ Cape Province South Africa Photos by Cameron McMaster

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Common Name The Capetown Acrolophia

Flower Size .4 to .6" " [1 to 1.5 cm]

Found in Cape Province South Africa in fynbos and restio-veld and coastal scrub in sand at elevations of 100 to 1700 meters as a slender to robust, medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial that flowers in the spring and summer [October to January] in situ and has a tuft of ridgid, erect, conduplicate, keeled, linear, acute leaves and numerous, long, thick , fleshy roots and blooms in the late spring and summer on an erect, unbranched to branched, terminal, [3.4 to 20" [9 to 50 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence.

Synonyms Acrolophia barbata (Spreng.) Pfitzer 1887; Acrolophia comosa (Sond.) Schltr. & Bolus 1894; Acrolophia sphaerocarpa (Sond.) Pfitzer 1887; Acrolophia tristis (L.f.) Pfitzer 1887; Eulophia barbata Spreng. 1826; Eulophia comosa Sond. 1846; Eulophia sphaerocarpa Sond 1846; Eulophia tristis (L.f.) Spreng. 1826; Graphorkis capensis (P.J.Bergius) Kuntze 1891; Graphorkis comosa (Sond.) Kuntze 1891; Graphorkis sphaerocarpa (Sond.) Kuntze 1891; Graphorkis tristis (L.f.) Kuntze 1891; *Limodorum capense P.J.Bergius 1767; Limodorum triste (L.f.) Thunb. 1794; Satyrium capense (P.J.Bergius) Houtt. 1780; Satyrium triste L.f. 1782; Serapias capensis (P.J.Bergius) L. 1771;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; An Introduction to the South African Orchids Schelpe 1966; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo good; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 drawing/photo ok; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 24 1457 - 1520 Brieger 1991 as Eulophia barbata; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #1 2002 photo fide;

Acrolophia capensis var. lamellata (Lindl.) Schelpe 1982 Photo courtesy of Dr Schelpe

The flower in the photo is var lamellata which differs from the type in having 7 to 9 crested keels on the lip and a dorsal sepal measuring from 1/2" to 9/10" [12 to 22 mm] long, The type has 5 crested keels on the lip and a dorsal sepal the is less than .4" [1 cm] long,

Synonyms Acrolophia lamellata (Lindl.) Pfitzer 1887; *Eulophia lamellata Lindl. 1833; Graphorkis lamellata (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; An Introduction to the South African Orchids Schelpe 1966; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 as A lamellata drawing/photo ok;

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