Polystachya zuluensis L.Bolus 1939 SECTION Dendrobianthe Photos courtesy of © Lourens Grobler.

Common Name The Zululand Polystachya

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in Swaziland and Natal South Africa on hot, dry rocky slopes at elevations around 800 to 1300 meters as a small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte or occasional litho-terrestrial with ovoid-conical pseduobulbs carrying 2 to 5, linear, thin, deciduous leaves that fall often before the pseudobulb has matured and blooms in the fall on an erect, dry, straw colored, branched inflorescence that has successive lower branches each with 5 to 7 flowers per branch and arise after the terminal, resupinate, sweetly fragrant flowers fall.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 3 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photo fide;

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