Cynorkis elephantina Hermans, Andriant. & Sieder, Kew Bull. 72(3)-38: 7 (2017).
Description:
Erect terrestrial or lithophytic herb, up to 35 cm tall, including the inflorescence. Tubers elongate, clustered, surface velvety, roots a little hairy, fleshy, wiry c. 2 mm in diam. Stem pale green, short, 4 cm long, 8 - 12 mm in diam., enclosed by 1 - 2 leaf-like sheaths and the leaf petiole; 1 - 2 large leaves followed by several leaf-like sheaths above, decreasing in size, small groups of plants often clustered together creating a rosette-like formation. Leaves obliquely lanceolate, narrowed at the base into a short petiole, with a strong mid-vein and 2 - 3 parallel veins, 18 - 23 cm long, 6 - 9 cm wide, leaves and sheaths pale green blotched with dark red, glossy above, paler below. Inflorescence emerging from the developing growth, pale green becoming paler towards the rachis, somewhat ridged, hirsute, flecked with purple-red, up to 29 cm, 1.8- 3.5 mm in diam., a large lanceolate leaf-like sheath c. 4 cm above the leaf, of a similar colour pattern as the leaf, c. 8 cm long, 3 cm wide, followed by another smaller leaf-like sheath and two or more much smaller sheaths along the peduncle; rachis 8 - 18 cm, lengthening as the flowers open, laxly 15 - 22-flowered; floral bracts pale green blotched purple-red towards the base, amplexicaul at the base for % its length, serrate-hirsute at the margin, acuminate, then apiculate at the apex, less than % the length of the mature pedicellate ovary 10 -15 mm long, 2.5- 3.3 mm wide; pedicel and ovary almost straight, 22 -27 mm long, 1.8 - 2.3 mm wide, densely hirsute, pale green flecked with purple-red longitudinally. Flowers overall c. 4 cm long, 5.5 cm wide, not including the spur, all segments greenish white, becoming almost pure white when mature, sepals and petals with a few glandular hairs, spotted and flecked on the exterior with dark-purple, auricle on the lateral sepal margin darker, spur purplish-white becoming darker towards the tip, the base streaked longitudinally with purple, column entirely white. Dorsal sepal forming a hood with the petals, strongly gibbose, the apical 1=3 prominently recurved, 15 - 16.2 mm long, 7 - 7.8 mm wide when flattened; lateral sepals spreading and slightly twisted towards in the apical half, spathulate somewhat concave, with a distinctive auricle on the upper margin towards the tip, 16 - 17 mm long, 6.0 - 6.2 mm wide. Petals appressed to the inside of the dorsal sepal margins, almost scimitar-shaped, curved apically, 14 - 14.5 mm long, 2.1 - 2.2 mm wide. Lip entire, obovate-lanceolate, strongly curved backwards from the middle with the tip almost reaching the base of the ovary, 20.1 - 21.2 mm long, 5 - 5.2 mm wide, concave with a central raised longitudinal swelling; spur down-curved then pendent, lengthening greatly as the flowers develop, subulate towards the end, 70 - 78 mm long, c. 1.5 in diam. in mature flowers. Column in an angular plane 16 - 17 mm long 1.5 - 1.8 mm wide, with two long distinct rostellum arms for almost % its length, a rounded swelling half way along their length, a small nose-like mid-lobe, staminodes towards the base, forming triangular auricles, anther loculi elongate, longer than wide, pollinia including the long caudicle c. 15 mm long.
Etymology:
The species name refers to the likeness of the flower to the head of an elephant with the rostellum arms as tusks, ear-like lateral sepals, long trunk-like spur and the lip and dorsal hood resembling the mouth.
Habitat:
Seasonally dry forest remnants within grassland on basement rock at c. 300 m altitude. Water seepage areas on basalt rock, or near seasonal streams, in crevices and pockets of humus. In shade and semi-shade, with ferns, Euphorbia guillauminiana Boiteau and E. moratii Rauh.
Notes:
The new species is distinct by the large glossy spotted leaves, large leaf-like sheaths, the entire recurved lip with a long pendent spur which almost quadruples in length as the flower develops, recurved hood, lateral sepals with an auricle towards the apical margin and the long tusk-like rostellum arms. It is a very distinct, large-flowered species that somewhat resembles Cynorkis gibbosa Ridl. (Ridley 1883: 331) in section Gibbosorchis, in its leaf and floral morphology but is distinguished by its white flowers (vs brick red in C. gibbosa) with an entire lip (vs strongly lobed), much longer spur and distinct rostellum arms. Few larger-flowered Cynorkis species have an entire lip.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
Only known from the Antsohihy area in Northern Madagascar.
References:
New species and nomenclatural changes in Cynorkis (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae) from Madagascar and the Mascarenes, KEW BULLETIN (2017) 72: 38
