Jumellea francoisii Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 294 (1925).
Description:
Plants with numerous stems, ascending. slightly compressed. very thin, to 30-60 cm. long, covered by the greyish sheaths and with the veins slightly distinct. Leaves linear-loriform (8-11 cm. x 10-14 mm.). almost equally bilobed-rounded apically. Peduncle short (6-10 mm.), covered in the lower half by the 3-4. short, obtuse sheaths; bracts tubular, rigid, green and thick, narrowly appressed and 8 mm. long. covering a third of the pedicel generally; flowers of average size (flowers to 2 cm. long generally), divisions thick and fleshy. Sepals lanceolate (18 x 5 mm near the base), very shortly attenuate from the base, then gradually attenuate to the obtuse apex: the laterals very shortly joined basally. Petal similar to the median sepal but shorter (15 mm.). Labellum (16-18 mm.) narrow and creased-guttershaped in the lower half. with a fine median keel near the bottom, which abruptly enlarges (7 mm.) and is totally attenuate toward the obtuse and apiculate apex; spur short, cylindrical, pendent and 12-13 mm. long, shorter than the labellum and the pedicel. Column wider (3 mm ) than long (2.5 mm.): auricles indented-compressed, acute apically, or confluent; notch of the rostellum provided with a small, linear tongue, 0.5 mm. long. Anther bare, without enlarged front margins; pollina (when live or dry) appearing sessile with a single common retinacle, but in reality each provided with a very fine, retracted cauda joining to form the retinacle and having only a single distinct viscidium. Pedicel 2-3cm. long.
Habitat:
Epiphyte; in forests from 1200-1500 m. alt.; flowering: January-March; leaves fragrant as in those of Jumellea fragrans when dried.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cool growing epiphyte.
Distribution:
C. & EC. Madagascar
References:
Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1938/81; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans & Campbell 2006; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 14.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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