Genus Bulbophyllum

Bulbophyllum danii Pérez-Vera, in Orchidées Côte D'Ivoire: 214 (2003)
Description:
Epiphyte with a creeping rhizome giving rose to 3 to 4 angled, 1 to 2 cm between each, slightly sloping pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, erect, oblanceolate, apiculate, leathery, narrowing below into the distinct petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect, slightly sinuous, peduncle 16 to 30 cm long, provided with 3 to 4, tubular, clasping acute bracts, rachis to 15 cm long, arranged in a spiral, successesively single, several flowers inflorescence with lanceolate, ribbed membraneous, acute, not reflexed floral bracts
Habitat:
In medium to higher rainforest at elevations below 800 meters.
Distribution:
Ivory Coast.
References:
Orchidspecies.com by Jay Pfahl; Les Orchidees de Cote d'Ivorie Perez-Vera 2003 ; POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 1. January 2023."
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.

Bulbophyllum alinae Szlach. in Fl. Cameroun 35: 395 (2001)
Description:
Epiphyte with 2.5 to 3 cm between each narrowly conical-ovoid, triangular to 5 ridged, pale green pseduobulb carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, rather thick, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, medium green above, pale green beneath leaf that blooms in the winter on a basal, to 40.5 cm long, rachis not flattened, rather dense, glabrous, subsecund, to 25 flowered inflorescence with ovate-lanceolate, acute, more or less as long as the pedicel and ovary floral bracts.
Notes:
Similar to and often cited as a synonym of Bulbophyllum saltatorum this species differs in the hairs on the lip apex are distinctly longer than the entire lip, flattened and widened to appear as laminae than hairs. The petals are as long as the sepals and the stelida are obviously dentate on the upper margins.
Habitat:
The species is endemic to Cameroon and restricted to forests of the southern and littoral parts of the country. The species is found between 100 to 900 m elevation.
Distribution:
Cameroon
References:
Orchidspecies.com by Jay Pfahl; Orchidaceae Of West Central Africa Vol 2 Szlachetko, Ejsmont, Baranow, Grochocka, Nowak, Margonska and Naczk 2015; POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 1. December 2023."
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.

Bulbophyllum teretifolium Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 38: 18 (1905).

Heterotypic Synonyms:

Bulbophyllum kupense P.J.Cribb & B.J.Pollard, Kew Bull. 59: 137 (2004).

Description:

Pendent epiphytic herb; rhizome elongate, terete, 2-3 mm in diameter, bearing pseudobulbs at intervals of c. 3-4 cm. Pseudobulbs pendent, cigar-shaped, somewhat oblique, 4 - 6.5 cm x 7 - 9 mm, unifoliate at apex. Leaf pendent, linear, dorsiventrally compressed, acute, 20 - 28 cm x 3 - 4 mm, green. Inflorescences pendent, somewhat incurved-sinuous, subdensely many-flowered; peduncle terete, bearing a few scattered sheathing, acute, sterile bracts up to 1 cm long; rachis fleshy, somewhat bilaterally flattened, tapering to apex; bracts distichous, ovate, acute, 3 -3.5 mm long. Flowers fleshy, distichous, purple and pink; pedicel and ovary 1-1.5 mm long. Dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4x2 mm. Lateral sepals obliquely triangular, acute, 4x2 mm, forming with the column-foot a shallow mentum. Petals linear, rounded at apex, with incurved lateral margins, 2.2 x 0.3 mm. Lip very fleshy, 3-lobed; side lobes erect, dentate; midlobe slightly decurved, oblong, rounded in front, bearing two longitudinal low ridges on either side of upper surface. Column 1.2 mm long; anther obovoid, papillate on top; pollinia four in two unequal sized pairs; foot with a basal swelling 2 mm long.

Etymology:

The specific epithet kupense refers to the only known locality for this species, Mt Kupe.. No local names or uses yet reported. Bulbophyllum kupense is known only from an individual epiphyte on one 5 m tall mango tree, in a private garden, where one individual plant of this taxon continues to grow. The holotype is a small portion of that individual. A certain measure of protection has been afforded this species, as this garden area has since been fenced off to demarcate

Habitat:

Epiphyte in garden. Phorophyte: Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae), 830 m. The natural habitat of Bulbophyllum kupense is a matter for speculation, it having only ever been collected once, growing on an introduced mango tree. Throughout its range Bulbophyllum encephalodes Summerh., its close ally, grows in montane forest and occasionally in Brachystegia woodland.

Taxonomic relationships:

Szlachetko 8c Olszewski (2001) describe 38 species of Bulbophyllum in their account of the orchid flora of Cameroon. This species is quite different from any of those listed. Neither does it match any of the other African species monographed by Vermeulen (1987). It belongs in Vermeulen’s section 9 of the African part of the genus. This section is distinguished by the inflorescence, which has distichous bracts as long as or shorter than the flowers, a fleshy rachis borne at an angle to the terete peduncle, and flowers with a fleshy obscurely 3-lobed lip. Seven species were included there, namely, Bulbophyllum horridulum]. J. Verm., Bulbophyllum acutebracteatumDe Wild., Bulbophyllum fuscum Lindl., Bulbophyllum oreonastes Rchb. f., Bulbophyllum encephalodes Summerh., Bulbophyllum concatenatum R J. Cribb 8c R Taylor, and Bulbophyllum unifoliatum De Wild. The first four species have bifoliate pseudobulbs, the last three unifoliate ones.

Bulbophyllum kupense is a distinctive species amongst African Bulbophyllum species, particularly for its pendent habit and unifoliate cigar-shaped pseudobulbs bearing a narrowly linear leaf. It is closest to Bulbophyllum encephalodes Summerh., a species found in SW Cameroon, Congo (Kinshasa), Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe, but it differs markedly in its habit, narrowly linear leaves, fusiform pseudobulb and lip with ± dentate margins.

Schlechter described Bulbophyllum teretifolium Schltr., based on his own sterile collection from Bibundi, Man of War Bay, Mt Cameroon, Schlechter 12362, April 1899 (Schlechter 1905: 18). The type specimen was deposited at the Berlin herbarium, but was destroyed during the Second World War. Bulbophyllum kupense closely resembles the description in the protologue, but differs in having dorsiventrally compressed leaves (not terete), a pendent habit (not erect to erect-patent), and is known from fertile material (not sterile). It is possible that Schlechter erroneously described Bulbophyllum teretifolium as erect to erect-patent based on the herbarium sheet, but Vermeulen (1987: 160), listing it as an imperfectly known species, states that Schlechter had himself observed it as being common, which suggests that his interpretation of the habit was based on personal familiarity with its mode of growth. This difference combined with that of leaf morphology leads us to the conclusion that Bulbophyllum kupense represents an hitherto undescribed species. Despite some similarities, it is not possible for us to state with any certainty that Bulbophyllum kupense represents a fertile collection of Bulbophyllum teretifolium, and so we do not think it appropriate to neotypify Schlechter’s name here.

Distribution:

Cameroon

References:

Bulbophyllum kupense P. J. Cribb & B. J. Pollard, an unusual new orchid from western Cameroon Phillip Cribb & Benedict John Pollard, Kew Bulletin 59: 137-139 (2004); Vermeulen, J. J. (1987). Orchid Monographs Vol. 2. A taxonomie revision of the continental African Bulbophyllinae. E. J. Brill, Leiden; Cribb, P. J. (1996). New species and records of Orchidaceae from West Africa. Kew Bull. 51: 353 -364; Cable, S. 8c Cheek, M. (1998). The Plants of Mount Cameroon, a Conservation Checklist. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Cheek, M., Onana, J.-M. 8c Pollard, B. J. (2000). The Plants of Mount Oku and the Ijim Ridge, Cameroon, a Conservation Checklist. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Cribb, P. J. (1996). New species and records of Orchidaceae from West Africa. Kew Bull. 51: 353 -364.; POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 31. December 2022."

Bulbophyllum section Chaseella (Summerh.) G A Fischer & J J Verm.
Type:
Bulbophyllum pseudohydra (Summerh.) J.M.H.Shaw,
Description:
Epiphytes with creeping rhizomes. Pseudobulbs 6-12-leaved, needle-shaped. Inflorescence 1 (-2)-flowered; rachis, if present, not thickened, round in section. Floral bracts shorter than the flowers. Flowers resupinate. Sepals free, glabrous abaxially. Labellum mobile, undivided, margins glabrous; thick and solid. Anther with an abaxial, rounded protrusion slightly overtopping the anterior margin; pollinia 2.
Habitat:
A single species in montane forests up to 2000 meters
Distribution:
Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Species:

References:
Genera Orchidacearum Vol 6 Epidendroideae Pt 3 Pridgeon, Cribb Chase & Ramussen 2014; POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 31. December 2022."