Cynorkis aristei (J.-B.Castillon) P.J.Cribb & Hermans 2021

Photos by © J.-B.Castillon and Richardiana 11: 14 J.-B.Castillon 2010

LATER

Common Name Ariste's Cynorkis [Ariste Riviere de l'Entre Deux, Reunion native current]

Flower Size .44 to .56" [1.1 to 1.4 cm]

Found in Reunion in humid, primitive forests on mossy tree trunks at elevations around 1400 meters as a mini-miniature to small sized, cool growing epiphyte with 1 to 2 tubers giving rise to an erect, 1.2 to 8.8" [3 to 22 cm] long stem carrying 2, basal, green sheaths then above a single, slightly below the middle cauline, elliptic, glaucous green leaf that blooms in the later spring and summer on an erect, provided with 1 to 2 sterile bracts, rachis .04 to 1.2" [1 to 3 cm] long, subcapitate, 3 to 11 flowered inflorescence with green, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts.

Similar to C boryanum but it is almost always a terrestrial, is a larger plant, has a different bloom time [fall], more flowers [10 to 25 versus up to 11] and has longer and thinner tubers.

Synonyms Cynorkis boryana var. aristei (J.-B.Castillon) Hermans & P.J.Cribb 2017; *Physoceras boryanum var. aristei J.-B.Castillon 2010;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Richardiana 11: 14 J.-B.Castillon 2010 as Physoceras boryanum var. aristei

Kew Bull. 72(3)-38: 29 Hermans & P.J.Cribb 2017 as Cynorkis boryana var. aristei

* Lankesteriana 21: 93 Hermans & P.J.Cribb 2021

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------