Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Disperis | > | thomensis |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Local |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small terrestrial herb 9–15 cm tall; tuber c. 1 cm long, woolly. Leaves 2, opposite, ovate, 2–5 cm long, dark green, sheathing at the base; margins wavy. Inflorescence 1–4-flowered; flowers white, green on the hooded spur with purple markings. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, acute, concave, bent above the middle, joined to petals to form a hood c. 5 mm long. Lateral sepals free, obliquely obovate, 5–6 mm long, with a long point at the apex and incurved, conical spurs 2–2.5 mm long near inner edge. Petals 5.3–6.5 mm long, narrowly oblong, the front edge with a rounded lobe at base, the posterior edge with a suberect median lobe 1.5 mm long; apex shortly forked, the anterior fork longer than the posterior. Lip 4.5–7 mm long, the apex bent abruptly inwards and shortly apiculate, the front face joined to the apex of 2 papillose appendages; appendages 6 mm long, 2-lobed with one lobe straight, the other recurved. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | thomensis: of São Tomé, where the type specimen was collected. |
Habitat: | In leaf litter and rock faces, in deeply shaded places in evergreen and riverine forest. |
Altitude range: | 1300 - 2150 m |
Flowering time: | Mar - Apr |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Bioko, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast; Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé, Sierra Leone, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. |
Malawi distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Sunday 10 March 2019 |
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 323. Fischer, E., Killmann, D., Delepierre, G. & Lebel, J-P. (2010). The Orchids of Rwanda Koblenz Geographical Colloquia Series Biogeographical Monographs 2 Pages 199 - 200. (Includes a picture). La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Page 246. La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 160. (Includes a picture). 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 95. In error; does NOT occur in Zimbabwe Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 119. Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 103 - 104. (Includes a picture). |
Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Disperis | > | thomensis |