Tridactyle brevifolia Mansf., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 11: 1063 (1934).
Description:
Plants small, erect, with stems 6—10 cm long and with smooth roots. Leaves linear, unequally bilobed at the apex, with rounded lobes, 2-4.5 cm long, 2-4 mm wide. Inflorescences 2-3 cm long, 4- to 9-flowered. Flowers yellow-orange with reddish anther cap; dorsal sepal elliptic, obtuse, 3.5-3.7 mm long, 2 mm wide; lateral sepals obliquely ovate, obtuse, 3.5—4.2 mm long, 2.7 mm wide; petals oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; lip auriculate at the base, 3-lobed at the apex but side lobes obscure, mid-lobe oblong, 3 mm long, in total 3-3.5 mm long, 2-2.2 mm wide; spur pendent, clavate, 6—7 mm long.
Habitat:
Epiphyte on small trees in montane mist forest; 1650-2100 m; flowering in January and February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
Tanzania (Nguru Mts., Uluguru Mts.)
References:
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 21.03.2017
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