Polystachya confusa Rolfe 1897 SECTION Humiles

Inflorescence Photos by © Lourens Grobler.

Common Name The Confusing Polystachya [refers erroneously to it's affinity to P ottoniana]

Flower Size 3/4" [2.1 cm]

Found in Kenya and northern Tanzania in montane forests at elevations of 1800 to 3200 meteres as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with ovoid pseudobulbs carrying 2, strap-shaped, ligulate to oblong-ligulate, unequally bilobed apically leaves that blooms in the spring through summer on a terminal, erect, terete, shortly pubescent, 1 to 3" [2.5 to 7.5 cm] long, 2 to 6 flowered inflorescence

CAUTION I am not sure of this determination, I have no drawings and the only photo reference available to me is from the Orchids of Kenya 1996 and this is not it. Please use with caution!

Synonyms Polystachya ottoniana var confusa [Rolfe] Kranzl.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 2 1979 photo fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 as P ottoniana var confusa ; photo fide; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996 photo not; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997

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