Polystachya porphyrochila J.Stewart 1973 SECTION Cultriformies Kraenzl.

Inflorescence Photos by © Stewart and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Part sun Cool Fall

Common Name The Purple Tongued Polystachya

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Tanzania in the Uluguru Mountains in montane rainforests at elevations around 1450 meters as a small to just medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with tightly clustered, narrowly ovoid-conical, slightly compressed pseudobulbs envelope by 3 to 5 basa; sheaths and carrying a single, coriaceous, lanceoalte to oblanceolate, acute, cuneate below leaf that blooms in the fall on a stout, shorter than the leaf, racemose, [12 to 20 cm] long, successively single to 6 flowered inflorescence with spreading, ovate-triangular acuminate floral bracts.

CAUTION! I have no way of verifying this determination so please use with caution

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 #11 1983 photo fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990 ;

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

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