Epipactis africana Rendle 1895 Photo by Bob Campbell and the Orchids of Kenya ©,

Common Name The African Epipactis

Flower Size 1.5" [3.75 cm]

Found in Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Malawi in coarse grass patches near rivers and in montane evergreen forests at elevations of 1900 to 3750 meters as a giant sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with purple green below, deep blue green above stems carrying lanceolate, to ovate, plicate, strongly veined leaves that blooms in the winter on an elongate, few to several flowered inflorescence with hanging, pubescent flowers.

Synonyms Amesia africana (Rendle) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. 1913; Epipactis excelsa Kraenzl. 1909; Helleborine africana (Rendle) Druce 1913; Serapias africana (Rendle) A.A. Eaton 1908

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996 Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Summerhayes 1968; Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968; he Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984 drawing fide; Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984 drawing fide;Orchids of the Central African Republic a Provisional Checklist Cribb & Fay 1987; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Kenya Stewart & Campbell 1996 photo fide; Field Guide to the Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb & Rasmussen 2004

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