Brachycorythis friesii (Schltr.) Summerh. 1955Photo by © Warren McCleland and The African Plants Photo Guide Website

Common Name Fries Brachycorythis [Swedish Botanist collecting in East Africa 1900's]

Flower Size .5" [1.25 cm]

Found in Zaire, Burundi, Rwanda, Zambia, Angola and Tanzania in marshes in forests and damp pastures at elevations of 1250 to 2100 meters as a mini-miniature to small sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with ovoid to cylindrical tubers giving rise to a somewhat flexuous stem carrying 4 to 14, usually loosely arranged, lanceolate-linear to lanceolate, acute leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, erect, rachis to 2.8" [7 cm] long, rather laxly to 15 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, the lowermost longer than the the flowers, shorter above floral bracts and carrying spreading, white, mauve or purple flowers.

Synonyms Gyaladenia friesii (Schltr.) Schltr. 1921; Gyaladenia friesii var. kornasii Szlach., Mytnik, Rutk., Jerch. & Baranow 2010; *Platanthera friesii Schltr. 1916

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Of Tropical East Africa Vol 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 drawing good; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part One Pope 1995;

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