Benthamia erinacea (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb 2021

Photo by © François Vandeschricke and The Orchidees de Reunion Website

Plant and Flowers in situ Reunion

Photo by © Orchids of Reunion website

EARLIER

Common Name The Spined Benthamia

Flower Size .22" [6mm]

Found in Reunion and Madagascar on shaded mossy trees and rocks at elevations of 700 to 2400 meters as a small to just medium sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte and lithophyte with numerous narrow tubers giving rise to a stem bearing 2 to 3, above the base, distant, lanceolate, acute sheaths that become gradually smaller above and with oblong-lanceolate, attenuate-acute apically leaves that blooms in the summer through earlier fall on an erect, cylindrical, to 6" [15 cm] long, very dense, numerous flowered inflorescence with linear, as long to much longer than the flower floral bracts with the flowers becoming smaller in length towards the base

Synonyms Benthamia nigrescens Schltr. 1916; Benthamia nigrescens subsp. borbonica H.Perrier 1934; Benthamia nigrescens subsp. humblotiana H.Perrier 1934; Benthamia nigrescens subsp. decaryana H.Perrier 1934; Benthamia nigrescens subsp. secundiflora H.Perrier 1934; Benthamia nigrescens subsp. typica H.Perrier 1934; Habenaria erinacea Cordem. 1895; Habenaria secundiflora Cordem. 1895

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Fl. Réunion: 261 Cordem. 1895 as H erinacea; Fl. Réunion: 260, 551 Cordem. 1895 as H sendiflora;

Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 34(2): 301 Schlechter 1916 as B nigrescens;

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 30 H Perrier 1934 as B nigrescens subsp borbonica;

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 30 H Perrier 1934 as B nigrescens subsp decaryana;

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 30 H Perrier 1934 as B nigrescens subsp humblotiana;

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 30 H Perrier 1934 as B nigrescens subsp secundiflora;

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 30 H Perrier 1934 as B nigrescens subsp typica;

Flora Of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81 drawing fide;

Flora Of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81 as B nigrescens ssp humblotiana;

Flora Of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81 as B nigrescens ssp decaryana

Orchids of Madagascar Hermans, Du Puy, Cribb & Bosser 2007;

Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009;

Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 photo ok;

A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018 photo fide;

* Lankesteriana 21: 74 Hermans & P.J.Cribb 2021

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