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Diaphananthe lorifolia Summerh., Kew Bull. 14: 235 (1956).
Description:
Plants with long hanging stems, 8-40 cm long. Leaves in 2 rows in the upper part, falcate, linear, unequally and obtusely bilobed at the apex, 14-25 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, twisted at the base so that they lie in one plane. Inflorescences pendent, shorter than the leaves, 7-15 cm long, 5- to 25-flowered. Flowers pale yellow, white, or pinkish; dorsal sepal lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute, 5-8 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; lateral sepals oblong- ovate, acute, 6-9 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; petals lanceolate to oblong, acute, 5-6.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide; lip entire, round to ovate, shortly apiculate, sometimes with a slightly fimbriate margin, with a small tooth in the mouth of the spur, 5-8 mm long and wide; spur slender, 5-9 mm long.
Habitat:
Epiphyte on trunks and the large lower branches of trees with a light canopy, in montane and riverine forest; 1000-2200 m; flowering throughout the year.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, cool growing epiphyte.
Distribution:
Ethiopia to Rwanda and Tanzania
References:
Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968; Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 3 Cribb 1989; Orchids of Kenya Stewart & Campbell 1996; Angraecoid Orchids Hermans, Stewart and Campbell 2006; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 26.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.	Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.	Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.	Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.	Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.