Benthamia melanopoda Schltr. 1924

Drawing

TYPE Collection sheet and Drawing by © Perrier

Deep shade Cool LATE LATER Summer EARLY Fall

Common Name The Black Column Foot Benthamia

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in central Madagascar in grassy plains at elevations of 1500 to 2000 meters as a large sized, cool growing terrestrial with fusiform-elongate tubers giving rise to a stem basally enveloped by 2 to 3 blackish sheaths and carrying 3 to 4, medially on the stem, linear, acute to acuminate leaves with bracts rapidly grading smaller above that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, peduncle 8 to 10" [20 to 25 cm] long, rachis to 4" [10 cm] long, narrowly cylindrical, densely many flowered inflorescence with narrowly lanceolate-acuminate, inferiors longer than the flowers floral bracts and carrying yellowish green

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81 drawing fide; A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018 photo fide;

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