Cynorkis guttata Hermans & P.J.Cribb, Orchid Rev. 115: 248 (2007).
Description
Terrestrial herb 15-35cm tall. Tubers several in a cluster at the stem base, elongated, twisted around rocks etc in the substrate, 10-20 x l-1.8cm in diameter, roots white, 0.4cm in diameter with long hairs. Leaf solitary at the stem base, elongate-elliptic to strap-shaped, 10-50 x 3-8 cm, arching, the central vein strongly keeled underneath, especially at the base, obtuse apically, subtended by 1 or 2 funnel-shaped sheaths, partly underground, all glabrous, pale to dark green. Inflorescence up to 35cm long, produced from the new developing shoot within the base of the unfurling leaf, densely 10-35, or more, flowered, the flowers spreading and forming a tight raceme, the older flowers fading before the new ones have opened, the peduncle c. 4mm in diameter, green suffused with brown-red, diminishing towards the apex, with 1 or 2 bracts, green suffused with brown; floral bracts 18-22 x 2-3mm, green with a reddish tip, pedicellate ovary 38-42 x 2-3mm, green with a few glandular hairs surrounding the base, otherwise glabrous. Flowers c. 2.5cm in diameter, creamy white suffused with purple. Dorsal sepal more strongly coloured. Lateral sepals exterior darker purple, slightly spotted with carmine-red inside, green at the base. Lip more strongly coloured towards the margin. Disc carmine-red with carmine-purple spots above the disc dissipating into the throat. Spur green suffused with dark red, especially at the base and gradually becoming completely green in the third towards the tip. Dorsal sepal oblong, 7-10 x 3-5 mm, deeply concave and, together with the petals, forming a hood over the column, the base inflated, carrying several long glandular hairs on the exterior along the veins but mainly concentrated around the base. Lateral sepals swept backwards against the ovary, concave, oblong to sickle-shaped, 7-10 x 2-3.5mm, a few glandular hairs at the base. Petals narrowly oblong-obovate, curved apically, 7-9 x 2-3mm, appressed to the inside of the dorsal sepal margins forming a broad rim. Lip somewhat connate to the base of the column, 18 x 20-23mm, 4-lobed; lateral lobes 8-9 x 8-9mm; apical lobes 9-11 x 7-9mm, crenate-serrate around the margins, with a slightly raised callus on the disc; spur somewhat parallel to the ovary, a little broadened at the base, 26-32mm long, slender, slightly swollen towards the apex. Column 4-5mm deep, 3-3.5mm wide, 4.5mm high, anther with a pronounced nose-shaped, 3mm long protrusion. Anther with two chambers 1mm long, dark red. Rostellar lobes 3.5mm long, slightly diverging, with two small warty lobes on the side, 0.3mm long. Pollinia 1.5 x 1mm, > late-blue. Caudicles transparent, 4.5mm long. Viscidia darker coloured, rounded, 0.5mm long.
Habitat:
Distribution:
C. & SE. Madagascar
