Polystachya mazumbaiensis P.J.Cribb & Podz. 1978 SECTION Cultriformes Kranzl.Photo by © J Tanner and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Mazumbai Forest Reserve Polystachya

Flower Size to 1/2" [to 1.25 cm]

Found in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania in montane forests at elevations around 1130 to 1450 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte with loosely clustered, globose, shiny, slightly compressed pseudobulbs carrying a single, spreading, coriaceous, elliptic-ovate, obtuse, auriculate base leaves that blooms in the fall on an arcuate to pendent, slender, longer than the leaf, to 1.4" [3.5 cm] long, 1 to 2 branched, to 8 flowered inflorescence with ovate-triangular, apiculate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying fragrant rose to Gardenia scented flowers.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 2 Cribb 1984; Orchid Digest Vol 58 #2 1994; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016

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