Polystachya praecipitis Summerh. 1942 SECTION Humiles Drawing by Miss Stella Ross-Craig

Common Name The Peculiar Polystachya

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in northern and north central Tanzania amongst mosses and lichens in montane forests at elevations of 1000 to 1800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with contiguous, narrow below, ovoid to ellipsoid above pseudobulbs enveloped by evanescent sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, apical, narrowly oblong to oblong-elliptic, shortly bilobulate apically leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, erect, racemose, peduncle to 1.8" [4.5 cm] long, rachis .4 to 1.2" [1 to 3 cm] long, laxly 3 to 5 flowered inflorescence with ovate, acuminate floral bracts and carrying deflexed, pubescent on the outside, cream colored flowers.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990 drawing fide;

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