Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Polystachya | > | subumbellata |
Synonyms: |
Polystachya megalogenys Summerh. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Local |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Slender epiphyte with clustered stems long and slender, not swollen into pseudobulbs, growing in deep shaded montane evergreen forest. Leaf single, linear, 12-15 cm long. Inflorescence 3-5 flowered, appearing umbellate. Flowers white to pale creamy-pink or yellow. |
Notes: | - The flowers often do not open at all or only at night which is an indication it seems to be mostly self-pollinating. - Although said to occur mostly c. 1200m (La Croix & Cribb, 1998), it is found at much higher altitudes in Vumba and on Mt Gorongosa in Mozambique |
Derivation of specific name: | subumbellata: almost in an umbel; referring to the short, few-flowered inflorescence |
Habitat: | In deep shaded montane evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1200 - 1700 m |
Flowering time: | Mar (-Jun) |
Worldwide distribution: | Restricted to the border mountains of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, including Mt Gorongosa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | Near Endemic |
Red data list status: | Vulnerable |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Ball, J.S. (1978). Southern African Epiphytic Orchids. Conservation Press, Johannesburg. Pages 162 - 163. as Polystachya megalogenys (Includes a picture). Cribb, P.J. & Podzorski, A. (1978). New species in Polystachya (Orchidaceae) from Africa Kew Bulletin 32(4) Pages 700 - 701. Protologue (Includes a picture). Darbyshire, I., Timberlake, J., Osborne, J., Rokni, S., Matimele, H., Langa. C., Datizua, C., de Sousa, C., Alves, T., Massingue, A., Hadj-Hammou, J., Dhanda, S., Shah, T., Wursten, B. (2019). The endemic plants of Mozambique: diversity and conservation status Phytotaxa 136 Page 78. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 167. Grosvenor, R.K. (1976). A list of orchids indigenous in Rhodesia. Excelsa 6 Page 85. as Polystachya megalogenys Kimberley, M.J. (2003). A List of Epiphytic Orchids of Zimbabwe Excelsa 20 Page 50. La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1998). Orchidaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 11(2) Pages 360 - 361. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. (2002). Endemic Plant Species of Zimbabwe. Kirkia 18(1) Page 130. 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. Mytnik-Ejsmont, J. (2011). A Monograph of the Subtribe Polystachyinae Schltr. (Orchidaceae) University of Gdansk, Poland, ISBN 978 83 7531 174 4 Page 326. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 84. |
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