Mystacidium gracile [Thouars] Finet 1907

Plant and Inflorescence Photos by © Lourens Grobler.

To

Common Name The Graceful Mystacidium

Flower Size 3/8" [1 cm]

A mostly leafless, miniature epiphyte that is found in Madagascar and South Africa on trunks and main branches of forest trees at elevations of 1800 meters as a cold to cool growing epiphyte with very fine roots and sometimes has elliptic or linear leaves [sometimes not and appears to be a Microcolelia] that blooms in the winter and spring on a 2 to 4" [5 to 10 cm] long, pendant, 4 to 12 flowered, 2 ranked inflorescence.

The flowers open in succession from the apex of the inflorescence back towards the base and are delicately fragrant at night and needs deep shade and high humidity

Synonyms Aeranthes gracilis (Harv.) Rchb.f. 1867; Aerobion gracile (Thouars) Spreng. 1826; Angorchis gracilis (Thouars) Kuntze 1891; Angraecopsis thouarsii (Finet) H.Perrier 1941; *Angraecum gracile Thouars 1822; Mystacidium thouarsii Finet 1907; Oeceoclades gracilis (Thouars) Lindl. 1833

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Historie Particulier des Plantes Orchidees Recueilles Sur Trois Iles Australes d'Afrique Thouars 1822 as Angraecum gracile drawing fide; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo good; Rudolph Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 16/17/18 945-1128 Brieger 1986 photo ok; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1996; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Pope 1998 drawing fide/photo ok; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 photo fide; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans, Campbell 2006; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 1 2007 photo; Orchid Digest Vol 71 #1 2008 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008;

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