Nervilia ballii G. Will.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Photo: Bart Wursten
By road to Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area

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Synonyms:	Nervilia sp. of Moriarty, Wild Flowers of Malawi: 57 (1975). Nervilia sp. no. 3 sensu Grosvenor (1976) Nervilia sp. (Williamson & Drummond 1639) of Williamson, Orch. S. Centr. Africa: 143 (1977).
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect terrestrial up to c. 30 cm high. Tuber subspherical to ovoid, up to 17 mm in diameter. Leaf solitary, apearing after flowering, erect, ovate, upto 6 × 4 cm, acute at the apex, hairless, pleated, dark olive green above with silvery lines along the veins, dark purple beneath; petiole c. 6 cm long. Inflorescence 1-flowered, rarely 2-flowered with 3-4 sheathing leaf-like bracts up to 4 cm long. Flower greenish, reddish tinged on the outside and red veins on the inside; lip cream to pale yellow with prominent red to purple venation, oblong-ovate, obscurely 3-lobed,18-25 mm long, with 2 fleshy pubescent ridges on the mid-lobe.
Notes:	The striking olive-green and purple colours make this species easily recognizable when in leaf.
Derivation of specific name:	ballii: named after John Ball, orchidologist, who collected the type for this species.
Habitat:	In woodland and grassland.
Altitude range: (metres)	600 - 1500 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,C,E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Tuesday 6 October 2015
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 331. (Includes a picture). Champluvier, D. (2002). Contribution to the study of the genus Pseuderanthemum (Acanthaceae) in tropical Africa (in French) Pages 142 - 143. As Nervilia sp. (Williamson & Drummond 1639) (Includes a picture). Cribb, P.J. (1984). Orchidaceae (Part 2) Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 275 - 277. Fibeck, W. & Dare, M. (1993). Terrestrial Orchids in Zimbabwe. Excelsa 16 Page 67. Grosvenor, R.K. (1976). A list of orchids indigenous in Rhodesia. Excelsa 6 Page 84. as Nervilia sp. no. 3 (Wild 4174) La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 265 - 266. (Includes a picture). La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Pages 167 - 168. (Includes a picture). La Croix, I.F. & La Croix T.M. (1983). Orchids of Bvumbwe The Society of Malawi Journal 36(2) Page 17. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 97. Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 57 - 58. as Nervilia sp. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 123.

Other sources of information about Nervilia ballii:

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Flora of Malawi: Nervilia ballii
Flora of Mozambique: Nervilia ballii
Flora of Zambia: Nervilia ballii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Nervilia ballii
African Plant Database: Nervilia ballii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Nervilia ballii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Nervilia ballii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Nervilia ballii
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iNaturalist: Nervilia ballii
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Nervilia ballii
JSTOR Plant Science: Nervilia ballii
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Nervilia ballii
Plants of the World Online: Nervilia ballii
Tropicos: Nervilia ballii
Wikipedia: Nervilia ballii