Hetaeria occidentalis Summerh., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1934: 206 (1934).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Zeuxine occidentalis (Summerh.) Geerinck, Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 50: 122 (1980).
Description:
Rhizome horizontal, creeping in upper part. Stem 27-60 cm tall, erect, rather stout, glaborus, glandular below and along inflorescence. Leaves 4-5 or more (8), gathered in the lower part of the stem, petiolate; petiole and sheath 2—4.5 cm long; blade 6-16 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, obliquely lanceolate to ellipitic, acuminate. Cauline bracts 2 4. up to 2.2 cm long, ovate-lanceolate, amplexicaul, the lowermost glabrous, the uppermost glandular. Inflorescence 7—17 cm long, 20-40-flowered, dense. Flowers nonresupinate, white tilted pink. Floral bracts 8—15 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, densely glandular outside. Ovary 5-6 mm long, very densely glandular. Sepals densely glandular outside, thin. Dorsal sepal 4-7 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, oblong-ovate, obtuse, 3-nerved. Petals 4-7 mm long, 0.9-1.3 mm wide, linear, widened towards the apex, truncate, single-nerved. Lateral sepals 5-7 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, obliquely ovate, subobtuse, coch-leate, 3—4-nerved. Lip sessile, constricted near the apex; hypochile 5-6 mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, oblong-ovate in general outline, basal part deeply saccate forming two distinct spurs 1-2 mm long, with two fleshy appendages inside, apical part of margins thickened, papillate; epichile 2-lobed, lobes widely spreading, up to 7.5 mm long, up to 3.5 mm wide, broadly cuneate from a narrow base, rounded at the apex.
Habitat:
Lowland forests. Flowering in January.
Distribution:
W. & WC. Trop. Africa
Images:
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| Botanical Drawing / Herbarium |
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| Photograph copyright Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. |
