Polystachya zambesiaca Rolfe 1895 SECTION Affines Kranzlin

Photo by © Eric Hunt

Plant and Flowers in situ Zimbabwe

Photo by Bart Wursten ©, and his Flora Of Zimbabwe WebSite

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Common Name The Zambesi Polystachya

Flower Size 1/2" [1.75 cm]

Found in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe on rocky outcrops and isolated abrupt mountains in brachystegia forests as a miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte at elevations of 900 to 2000 meters with oblong or ovoid, somewhat compressed, often ribbed pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3 oblong or lanceolate, slightly foilded, glaucous green, sometimes purple edged leaves that blooms in the spring on a pubescent, 2 to 3" [5 to 8 cm] lonf, few to many flowered inflorescence which carries pubescent flowers. This plant can be potted or mounted and needs a drier cooler rest.

Synonyms Polystachya hislopii Rolfe 1914; Polystachya lawrenceana var. hislopii (Rolfe) Kraenzl. 1926; Polystachya phiriae Fibeck 1999

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as P hislopii; The Epiphytic Orchids of Malawi Morris 1970 drawing fide; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing/photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 6 1979 photo fide; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 11 1983 photo hmm; Malawi Orchids vol 1 La Croix 1983 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997 photo fide; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 2 Pope 1998 photo good; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 3 2007 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 72 No 2 2007 photo; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #1 2014 photo fide; Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 2 Szlatch. etal 2014 drawing ok

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