Cryptopus brachiatus H.Perrier, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 7: 137 (1938).
Description:
Plants with abort stems (5-10 cm long), sometimes branching, heavily sinuate, 3-4 mm, in diameter; sheaths heavily striate-veined; leaves 4-5, apical on the stems or branches, distant, elliptical-oblong (1.5- 5.6 x 1.2 cm), attenuate-obtuse toward both ends, thick and coriaceous. Inflorescences from in the sheaths, 7-16 cm long, 5-10 flowered, loosely arranged; peduncle short (2-5 cm long), rigid, upright, clad with 2-3 short sheaths; bracts short (a slight 1 mm long), obtuse; pedicel joined as those in the Aerangis, with a short articulation, slightly above the bract. Sepals narrowly obovate-cuneiform (1.3-1.4 cm x 4.5mm), obscurely many veined, the laterals narrower than the median. Petals narrowly oblanceolate, linear, 4 cm tall, divided into 2 horizontal-linear lobes apically, 8-10 mm long (or in the form of a T, with the horizontal bar longer than the vertical). Labellum narrowed basally, joined to the front of the spur oriface. then deeply trilobed, lateral lobes obovate-cuneiform (12 x 5 mm), unequaliteral, with 7-8 very divided veins: median lobe obcuneiform (6 x 3 mm), divided apically into 2 very long, linear, horizontal or pendent arms: spur with its oriface wide (3 mm), with us back margin joined at the column, and with its lateral margins dilate-rounded, attenuate below the oriface and generally 2 cm long. Anther wide 2.5 mm, provided in front with short, medially excised tongue; the 2 lobes obtuse and upturned; pollina with their cauda retracted; retinacles 2 distinct and 1.2 mm long and 0.6 mm wide. Column (3 x 2 mm) auricles sub squared and very wide (1 .5 mm) median tongue of the rostellum papillous, acicular, recurved in an acute hook apically, longer than the auricles. Pedicel 1.4-1.7 cm long.
Habitat:
Epiphytes: in eastern forests, between 600-700 m alt., flowering in February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
E. Madagascar
References:
Flore de Madagaskar, Plantes Vasculaires, 49 Famille - Orchidees (Lissochilus - Oenia) by PERRIER de la BATHIE, Joseph Marie Alfred Henri 1941; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 25.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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