Platycoryne mediocris Summerh. 1958

Photo by © Lourens Grobler

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Modest Platycoryne

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Burundi, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe at elevations of 200 to 1600 meters in damp grasslands and Brachystegia forests as a small to medium sized, warm growing growing terrestrial orchid with ellipsoid to almost globose, sparsely tomentose tubers giving rise to an erect, somewhat flexuous, slender, leafy throughout, terete stem carrying 6 to 10, the lowermost 1 to 2, reduced to sheaths, the rest suberect to spreading, small towards apex leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on a short, to 2" [5 cm] long, densely 2 to 7 flowered inflorescence with broadly lanceolate, acuminate, shorter than the ovary floral bracts.

" This species has no outstanding features, as the epiteth implies but is undoubtedly distinct in itws combination od characters from all the other species. Here again the leaves are sread along the stem with no bunching at the base. The species is nearest to P micrantha but has larger flowers, smallerlateral lobes of the labelllum and shorter rostellum arms. P. mediocris, like P. pervillei , was included by Rolfe under P. buchananiana in the Flora of Tropical Africa, but can be easily distinguished by the spreading leaves, decurved labellum and small teeth at the base of the lip." Summerhayes 1958

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Kew Bull. 13: 72 Summerhayes 1958

Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 1 Summerhayes 1968;

The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing/photo fide;

Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984;

Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1995;

Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008;

Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 1: 180 Szlatchecko etal 2010 drawing fide

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