Flower Closeup

Photos by Olaf Pronk and Laurette E.U.R.L. orchids of Madagascar

Common Name The Two Rowed Oberonia [refers to the leaves being aligned in two rows]

Flower Size 1/16" [.2 cm]

Found in tropical and South Africa, the west Indian Ocean islands and Madagascar in moss forests on trunks and large branches of trees at elevations of 50 to 1500 meters as a miniature sized, hot to cool growing epiphytic orchid with an upright stem enveloped completely by clasping oval or oblong, alternate leaves and blooms in the winter on a sessile or shortly pedunculate, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate-acuminate bracts and non-resupinate flowers.

Synonyms Cymbidium equitans Thou. 1822; *Epidendrum distichum Lamk. 1783; Iridorkis equitans Kuntze 1891; Malaxis brevifolia (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1861; Oberonia brevifolia Lindl. 1830; Oberonia equitans (Kuntze) Schltr. 1915; Pleurothallis disticha (Lam.) A.Rich. 1828

References <W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Historie Particulier des Plantes Orchidees Recueilles Sur Trois Iles Australes d'Afrique Thouars 1822 as Cymbidium equitans drawing fide; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1878 as Malaxis brevifolia; The Orchidaceeae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1911/85 as O brevifolia; Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81 drawing ok; Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968 photo good; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; Malawi Orchids Vol 1 La Croix 1983 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984 drawing fide; Die Orchideen Band 3 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas Liferung #14 820 - 880 1984 photo ok; Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984 drawing fide; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989 as O equitans; The Plants of Mount Kinabalu Vol 2 Orchids Beaman, Wood, Beaman & Beaman 1993 as O equitans; A Checklist of Borneo Orchids Wood & Cribb 1994 as O equitans; Native Orchids of New Caledonia Societe' Neo-Caledonienne D' Orchidophile 1995 as O equitans; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1995 drawing fide; The Orchids of Samoa Cribb & Whistler 1996 as O equitans; The Orchids of Kenya Stewart & Campbell 1996 photo good; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997 photo fide; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 photo fide; Field Guide to the Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb & Rasmussen 2004; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans, Du Puy, Cribb & Bosser 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #9 2014 photo fide; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 photo fide; A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018 photo fide;

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