Polystachya adansoniae Rchb. f. 1865 SECTION Polychaete Cribb
Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website
Photos by Bart Wursten ©, and his Flora Of Zimbabwe WebSite
Photos by Greg Steenbeeke
Common Name Adansonia Dwelling Polystachya [African and Madagascar tree]
Flower Size 1/4" [6mm]
This widespread small sized, epiphytic, sometimes lithophytic, cool to cold growing species is found at 1250 to 2100 meters in tropical Africa in evergreen forests and in wet woodlands with conical or oblong, slightly compressed, ribbed pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3, linear or strap shaped leaves and blooms in the spring on a racemose, apical, with 3 long sheathing bracts, erect, 2 to 6" [5 to 15 cm] long, densly many flowered inflorescence, arising on a mature pseudobulb, that has several, primrose scented flowers and is often found on Baobab trees in areas with ample rainfall.
Synonyms Dendrorkis adansoniae (Rchb. f.) Kuntze 1891; Polystachya adansoniae var. elongata Summerh. 1953; Polystachya alboviolacea Kraenzl. 1893; Polystachya caillei Guillaumin 1920; Polystachya dusenii Kraenzl. 1894; Polystachya nigerica Rendle 1913; Polystachya ridleyi Rolfe 1897
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968 photo good; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing/photo fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984 as P adansoniae var elongata; Orchids of The Central African Republic A Provisional Checklist Kew Bulletin Vol 42 [3] 1987; Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990 photo fide; Orchids of Kenya Stewart & Campbell 1996 photo fide; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997 photo fide; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 OrchidaceaePart 2 Pope 1998 drawing/photo fide; Les Orchidees de Cote d'Ivorie Perez-Vera 2003 photo/drawing fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 2 Szlachetko etal 2015 drawing fide;
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