Polystachya alpina Lindl. 1862 Drawing by © Schlechter and The Swiss Orchid Foundation a the Janz Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Alpine Polystachya

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Nigeria, Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea Islands in low montane and submontane forests on branches among lichens or tree trunks in montane forests on mossy branches and rocks at elevations pf 1000 to 3000 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with narrowly cylindrical-conical to fusiform pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 5 apicaly linear, liner-lanceolate to linear-oblong, obtuse, obscurely bilobed apically, spreading leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on an erect, densely pubescent, .6 to 2.4" [1.5 to 6 cm] long, 7 to 20 flowered inflorescence carrying non-resupinate, sweetly scented flowers.

Synonyms Dendrorkis alpina (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Polystachya preussii Kraenzl. 1893; Polystachya talbotii Rolfe 1910; Polystachya winkleri Schltr. 1906; Unguiculabia alpina (Lindl.) Szlach. & Mytnik 2008

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 2 Szlachetko etal 2015 as Unguinculabia alpina drawing fide;

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