Polystachya caespitifica Kraenzl. 1895 SECTION Cultriformes Photo by © Richard Lindberg and his Backbulbs Website

to

Common Name Polystachya [South African Plant collector 1900's]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Tanzania in submontane and montane evergreen forests at elevations around 1500 to 2300 meters as a mini-miniature sized [2 to 3"], cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte with 1" [2.5 cm] long, slender, narrowly cylindrical pseudobulbs carrying a flat, strap-shaped, to terete leaves that blooms on a 2" [5 cm] long, several flowered inflorescence that is more or less same size as the leaf and carrying fragrant flowers

Synonyms Polystachya convallarioidea Mansf. 1934

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968 as P latilabris; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996 photo fide; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Pope 1998 as P caespitifica subsp hollandii;

Polystachya caespitifica subsp. hollandii (L.Bolus) P.J.Cribb & Podz 1979

Found in Zimbabwe and Tanzania and has more slender pseudobulbs more terete to subterete leaves and a much shorter than the leaf inflorescence

Synonyms *Polystachya hollandii L.Bolus 1916

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Pope 1998 photo fide; Orchid Digest vol 71 #3 2007photo fide;

Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris (Summerh.) P.J.Cribb & Podz. 1979

Found in Kenya at elevations of 1500 to 3000 meters as a larger mini-miniature, 3" to 6" [15 cm] tall, cool to cold growing epiphyte and has stouter pseudobulbs, flat strap-shaped leaves and a shorter than the leaf inflorecence

Synonyms *Polystachya latilabris Summerh. 1942

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996 photo fide; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Orchid Digest vol 71 #3 2007photo fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------