Jumellea stenoglossa H.Perrier, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 14: 162 (1951).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Jumellea facilorchis M.A.Clem., Austral. Orchid Rev. 78(4): 30 (2013).
Description:
An erect to pendulous epiphytic monopodial herb. Stem simple, elongate. rigid,2-3 mm wide 10-30 cm long, covered in persistent thick, scarious leaf-sheaths below, leafy dista11y. rooting at nodes, leaves, 12-22 mm apart. Leaves green, distichous, oblong-ligulate, obtusely unequally bi-lobed at the apex, coriaceous, rigid, slightly convexed adaxially, the abaxial mid-nerve not prominent for most of its length, more prominent near apex, 45-65 x 12-15 mm. Inflorescence 1-fowered, porrect, axillary; pedicel relative short, mostly concealed by 4- 5 obtuse, scarious, imbricate bracts, 2-15 long, each increasing in size towards the flower. Flowers white with light green spur, column and light reddish-brown anther cap. Pedicel and ovary light green, slender, slightly curved, 5 x 1.5 mm. Dorsal sepal erect then slightly recurved at about a third of its length, linear-acuminate, undulate margins in basla third, 30 x 4 mm. Lateral sepals linear-lanceolate. acute. spreading and reflexed near base, 25 x 3.5 mm. Petals porrect, narrowly linear-lanceolate, spreading, acuminate, 24-25 x 2.5 mm. Labellum porrect, rhombic, duplicate, narrow at base with undulate margins, with distinct filamentous apex to 10 mm long, single central basal callus ridge extending about half the length of the narrow basal part. 28-30 x 2.5- 7.5 mm; spur curved at base then straight. cylindrical, filiform, tapering evenly to apex, light green, ca. 120 mm long. Column oblong with two triangular acute stelidia, 5 x 5 x 3 mm. Anther cuculiate, emarginate,2x 1.5. Pollinia yellow. ovoid, 1 x 1 mm.
Etymology:
Derived from the Latin facil- easy and orchis another genus of orchids, in reference to the proprietors of Easy Orchids, Murray and Jean Shergold who discovered this species during one of their many trips to Madagascar.
Habitat:
Epiphytic in small trees in or adjacent to more open areas of coastal rainforest in the Masaola Peninsula along the west side of Helodrano Antongila Bay, ca. 5-200 m.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
SE. Madagascar
References:
WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 14.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
