Schizochilus lilacinus Schelpe ex H.P.Linder 1980 Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Plant and Flowers in situ Transvaal

Plant and Flowers in situ Transvaal Photos © by Linder and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Lilac Schizochilus

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in Transvaal South Africa always on very steep rock ledges, presenting the inflorescence at a 45' angle, in montane grasslands at elevations of 1600 to 2300 meters as a small to medium sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with 2 to 3 lower, narrowly elliptic, upper, reducing in size, lanceoalte leaves that blooms in the spring on an arching, densely 6 to 25 flowered inflorescence.

Superficially similar to S crenulatus but it differs mainly in having narrower leaves and does not grow on sheer rock ledges and steep slopes and blooms with an erect inflorescence.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 drawing/photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 40 pg 2492 - 2564 Brieger 2000; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photos good;

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