Cheirostylis divina (Guinea) Summerh., Kew Bull. 8: 131 (1953).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Mariarisqueta divina Guinea, Ensayo Geobot. Guin. Continent. Espan.: 268 (1946).
Description:
Rhizome fleshy, horizontal, creeping in the upper part. Stem 7-16(20) cm tall, erect, delicate, glandular above the leaves. Leaves 5-7(9), distributed in the middle part of the stem, petiolate; petiole and sheath up to 1.6(3) cm long, more or less as long as the blade; blade 0.7-1.8(2.6) cm long, 0.6-1.6(2.3) cm wide; ovate with cordate base, acute, thin, delicate; 3-4 cauline bracts above leaves, ca. 0.8(1.5) cm long, glandular, amplexicaul, acute. Inflorescence 1-1.5(6.5) cm long, 3-10(21)-flowered. Flowers small, tubular, white. Floral bract 4—5 mm long, broadly ovate, acuminate, thin, delicate, rather sparsely glandular outside, single-nerved. Pedicel 1.2-2 mm long, twisted. Ovary 4 mm long, sparsely glandular. Sepals joined together for the half of their length forming a distinct sepaline tube, thin, delicate, glandular outside in their lower parts. Dorsal sepal ca. 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, ovate with lanceolate cucullate apex. Petals ca. 3 mm long, I mm wide, linear at the base, spatulate above, obtuse, agglutinate to the sepaline tube. Lateral sepals of the same size, obliquely ovate, lanceolate and cucullate at the apex. Lip distinctly longer than other perianth segments, 4.8-5.8 mm long, sessile; basal part 2-2.6 mm long, 1-1.4 mm wide, canaliculate, saccate at the base with two fleshy, finger-like appendages, pubescent inside near the apex; apical part bilobed, lobes widely spreading, 3.5-3.8(4.6) mm long, 1.8(2.5) mm wide, elliptic-obovate in general outline, dentate along apical margins.
Habitat:
Lowland and submontane humid forests. June, October-December.
Variability:
Cheirostylis divina is divided into two varieties:
Cheirostylis divina var. divina.
Cheirostylis divina var. ochyrae Szlach. & Olszewski,
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
W. & WC. Trop. Africa
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010
Genus Cheirostylis
Cheirostylis divina var. ochyrae Szlach. & Olszewski, Fl. Cameroun 34: 252 (1998).
Description:
Stem ca. 20 cm tall. Leaves 9; petiole and sheath 2.5-3 cm long; blade 1.5-2.6 cm long, 1.6-2.3 cm wide. Inflorescence 3.5-6.5 cm long, ca. 9-20-flowered. Basal part of the lip about half as long as width of the apical lobe.
Habitat:
Not recorded.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
Endemic in Cameroon. Alt. 930-1120 m.
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010
Cheirostylis divina var. divina.
Description :
Stem 7-16 cm tall. Leaves 5-7; petiole and sheath up to 1.6 cm long; blade up to 1.8 cm long and 1.6 cm wide. Inflorescence 1-1.5 cm long, 3-10-flowered. Basal part of the lip distinctly longer than the width of the apical lobe.
Habitat:
Lowland and submontane humid forests. June, October-December.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
Typical variety is known from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon. Alt. up to 1158 m.
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010
A key to the genus of Cheirostylis Blume
| 1a. | Leaves ovate, shortly acuminate, rounded or slightly cordate at base, 1-4 cm. long, 0.8-2.5 cm. broad, petiole shorter than lamina; labellum equalling the perianth or slightly longer, 3.5-5.5 mm. long; herb 10-30 cm. high, stem creeping at base; raceme dense, short, up to 20-flowered; perianth 3.5-4.8 mm. long; labellum lobes broad, divergent, entire or obscurely toothed | Cheirostylis lepida |
| 1b. | Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular-ovate, very shortly acuminate, distinctly cordate at base, 7-18 mm. long, 6-16 mm. broad, petiole about equalling lamina; labellum distinctly longer than the perianth, 4.8-5.8 mm. long; herb 7-16 cm. high, creeping at base; raceme short, 3-10-flowered; perianth 3.5-4.2 mm. long; labellum lobes broad, divergent, distinctly toothed | Cheirostylis divina |
Species without a key Cheirostylis nuda (Thouars) Ormerod
World Checklist of Monocotyledons. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots/ accessed 01/04/2020
Cheirostylis nuda (Thouars) Ormerod, Lindleyana 17: 193 (2002).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Goodyera nuda Thouars, Hist. Orchid.: t. 29 (1822).
Gymnochilus nudum (Thouars) Blume, Coll. Orchid.: 107 (1859).
Orchiodes nudum (Thouars) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 675 (1891).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Erporkis gymnerpis Thouars, Hist. Orchid.: t. 29, 30B (1822).
Gymnochilus recurvus Blume, Coll. Orchid.: 109 (1859).
Monochilus boryi Rchb.f., Linnaea 41: 60 (1876).
Cheirostylis gymnochiloides (Ridl.) Rchb.f., Flora 68: 537 (1885).
Cheirostylis humblotii Rchb.f., Flora 68: 537 (1885).
Monochilus gymnochiloides Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 21: 490 (1885).
Cheirostylis sarcopus Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 558 (1915).
Zeuxine boryi (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 33(2): 410 (1915).
Zeuxine gymnochiloides (Ridl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 34(2): 320 (1916).
Cheirostylis micrantha Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 127 (1924).
Zeuxine sambiranoensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 129 (1924).
Description:
Terrestrial herb with a creeping fleshy rhizome; roots c. 3 mm in diameter, villous. Leaves several, crowded near base of the stem, petiolate with a broad sheathing base; petiole c. 2 cm long, blade 4–6 × 2–2.5 cm, slightly obliquely ovate. Flowering stem to c. 35 cm high, usually sparsely hairy but sometimes glabrous, with 5–6 sheaths to 15 mm long. Inflorescence 2–6 × 1.5–2 cm, fairly densely many-flowered; ovary and bracts usually sparsely glandular-hairy but sometimes glabrous; bracts membranous, to 6 mm long. Sepals buff to old-rose coloured; petals and lip hyaline-white. Sepals 3–3.5 × 1.5 mm long, oblong, obtuse, joined in basal half. Petals 2.5–3 × 1.5 mm, oblong, obtuse. Lip 2.5–3 mm long, concave at base, usually with variously lobed calli, constricted at about two thirds of its length, the apical third transversely oblong, 1.5–2 mm wide. Glabrous plants do not have the basal outgrowths on the lip. Column 1.7 mm long with 2 clavate rostellar arms at apex. Ovary 6–7 mm long, starting to swell as soon as flowers open.
Habitat:
Deep shade in leaf mould in riverine forest . Altitude range 300–760 m.
Notes:
Glandular-hairy plants with basal calli on the lip and glabrous plants without calli (Ball 818) apparently grow in the same area but in separate
colonies. Apart from the above characters the two forms seem identical.
Distribution:
Tanzania to S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean
References:
La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1); Linder, H.P. & Kurzweil, H. (1999). Orchids of Southern Africa A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
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| Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
Photograph© Etienne Vennetier Image used with kind permission. |
