Polystachya pubescens [Lindley] Rchb.f 1863 SECTION Affines Kranzlin

Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Inflorescence Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by Walter M. Shinn

Plant and Flower as lithophyte in situ South Africa Photo by Cameron McMaster

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Common Name The Fine-Haired Polystachya

Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]

This is a small sized South African, very common, epiphytic or sometimes lithophytic, on exposed sandstone outcrops, cool to cold growing species that is found also in Swaziland at altitudes up to 1500 meters with clustered, narrowly conical-pyriform pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3 apical, ligulate, unequally bilobed apically leaves that are articulated to the basal leaf sheaths that blooms on an erect, apical, 10" [24 cm] long, racemose, pubescent, several [7 to 12] flowered inflorescence, that is longer than the leaves, arising on a mature pseudobulb, with successively opening honey scented flowers occurring in the fall through winter if given shade and even water and fertilizer year round.

Synonyms Dendrorchis pubescens (Rchb. f.) Kuntze 1891; *Epiphora pubescens Lindley 1836; Lissochilus sylvaticus Eckl. ex Sonder ?; Polystachya lindleyana Harv. 1863

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing good; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 2 1979 photo good; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 11 1983 photo fide; Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 23 1393 - 1456 Brieger 1990 photo fide; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997 photo ok; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Pope 1998; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest vol 71 #3 2007photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #4 2016 photo fide;

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