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Ancistrochilus thomsonianus (Rchb.f.) Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 44 (1897).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Pachystoma thomsonianum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1879(2): 582 (1879).
Ipsea thomsoniana (Rchb.f.) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl (eds.), Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2(6): 154 (1888).
Description:
A rather small epiphytic plant with growths to about 23 cm tall, with growths spaced at short intervals along a creeping rhizome. Pseudobulb about 3.8 cm long by 2.5 cm in diameter. The roundish or orbicular pseudobulb somewhat flattened and is usually covered with fibrous brownish sheaths. Leaves about 20 cm long by 3 cm wide. One to three narrowly lanceolate, heavily textured leaves that taper to sharply pointed tips are produced from the apex of the pseudobulb and held in erect to obliquely ascending or arching positions. They taper below to a narrow, stalked base and are longitudinally ribbed with numerous fanlike folds. Inflorescencep to 23 cm long. One or two erect to ascending or arching inflorescences are produced from the base of th ue pseudobulbs. Flowers up to 2-4 per inflorescence. The large, spreading, rather heavily fragrant, long-lasting flowers are up to 9 cm across. The spreading sepals and petals are white. The lip has a purple midlobe, while the lateral lobes are greenish, and the column is green spotted with red. Sepals and petals are lanceolate, taper to sharply pointed tips, taper below to narrow bases, and measure 3.5-4.5 cm long. The erect dorsal sepal is the widest, while the narrower obliquely divergent lateral sepals are somewhat sickle-shaped. The petals are more or less horizontally spreading. The 3-lobed lip has erect, somewhat squarish or oblong lateral lobes that are bluntly pointed. The long, narrowly triangular midlobe is 1.6-2.5 cm long, tapers to a sharply pointed, recurved apex, and is traversed by 5 raised longitudinal purple line that gradually coalesce toward the apex. The slender, arching column is semiterete and about 1.5 cm long.
Habitat:
Plants grow in forests in Cameroon and Nigeria. Specific details of habitat elevation have not been reported, but Hutchinson & Dalziel (1968) reported that plants have been found near Calabar, Nigera, and La Croix & La Croix (1997) reported that these plants grow in similar habitat to Ancistrochilus rothschildianus and should thrive in the same conditions.
Culture:
Read more of Cultivation of Ancistrochilus thomsonianus (Rchb.f.) Rolfe
Distribution:
S. Nigeria to WC. Trop. Africa
References:
Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. Hawkes, A. (1965) 1987. Encyclopaedia of cultivated orchids. Faber and Faber, London. Hutchinson, J., and J. Dalziel, ed. 1968. Flora of west tropical Africa, vol. 3-part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew Data Base. 2009. http.//apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do la Croix, I. and E. la Croix. 1997. African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Images:
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Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	In culture
Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Ehoarn Bidault/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.