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Satyrium cristatum Sond., Linnaea 19: 84 (1846).
Description:
Tubers 1-2.5 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter, ovoid or globose. Stem 23-60 cm tall, erect, slender to rather stout, with 2, opposite leaves towards the base; leaves up to 15 cm long and 5 cm wide, lanceolate-ovate to elliptic-oblong, acute, suberect; above 2-4 cauline leaves up to 11 cm long, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, adpressed to the stem. Inflorescence up to 24 cm long, laxly or densely many-flowered, cylindrical. Floral bracts 20-35 mm long, lanceolate-ovate, acute, reflexed. Ovary 9 mm long. Sepals and petals united together and with the lip in the basal half. Dorsal sepal 9 mm long, 1.2-1.4 mm wide, oblong-ligulate to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, glabrous. Petals 8-8.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, subfalcate, narrowly lanceolate to linear-ligulate, subobtuse, glabrous. Lateral sepals 8.5-9 mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, obliquely oblanceolate-oblong to ligulate-lanceolate, obtuse, glabrous. Lip 7.5-8 mm long and wide, ellipsoid-ovoid, mouth rather narrow, apex 1 mm long, 2 mm wide, obtuse, recurved. Spurs 9 mm long, 1 mm in diameter at the base, falcate, tapering gradually to the acute apex. Gynostemium 4-5 mm long.
Habitat:
Is a summer rainfall species found in moist or marshy grassland up to 2400 m from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo. South Africa.
Phenology:
Flowering is from January to February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Key to the varieties of Satyrium cristatum
Distribution:
Endemic to Angola? Alt. 2000 m.
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010
Images:
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Photograph© Warren McCleland. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Warren McCleland. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.