Cynorkis elephantina Hermans, Andriant. & Sieder 2017 SECTION Cynorchis Photos by © Anton Seider and
EARLY 
Common NameThe Elephant-Like Cynorkis
Flower Size 2.2" [5.5 cm]
Found in northwestern Madagascar in forest remnants within grassland on basement rock, in water seepage areas on basalt rock, or near seasonal streams, in crevices and pockets of humus, around 300 meters as a medium sized, hot growing terrestrial or lithophyte with clustered, elongate, velvety tubers giving rise to a shorter, pale green stem subtended by 1 to 2, leaf-like sheaths and carrying above a single, pale green blotched with red, glossy above, paler beneath, obliquely lanceolate, narrowing below into the shortly petiolate base leaf that blooms in the early summer on an erect, arfising on a developing growth, pale green becoming paler towards the rachis, flecked with purple red, somewhat ridged, hirsute, to 11.6" [29 cm] long, provided with a large leaf-like sheath above the leaf, followed by 3 more gradually smaller on the peduncle,rachis 3.2 to 7.2" [8 to 17 cm] long, lengthening as the flowers open, laxly 15 to 22 flowered inflorescence with pale green blotched purple red towards the base, amplexicaul at the base for 1/2 its length, serrate hisute at the margins, acuminate, the apiculate at the apex, half the length of the ovary floral bracts.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Hermans, J., Andriantiana, J.L., Sieder, A. et al. Kew Bull (2017) 72: 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-017-9715-4 drawing/photo fide
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