Ancistrorhynchus refractus (Kraenzl.) Summerh., Bot. Mus. Leafl. 11: 213 (1944).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Listrostachys refracta Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 33: 74 (1902).
Cyrtorchis refracta (Kraenzl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 132 (1918).
Description:
Plant erect with a short stem up to 4 cm long; roots branching, 1.5–3 mm in diameter. Leaves 6–8, fleshy or leathery, linear, unequally and acuminately bilobed at the apex, twisted towards the apex, articulated to a leaf base 2–3 cm long, 6–40 cm long, 8–12 mm wide. Inflorescences clustered, 3–3.5 cm long; bracts ovate, 7–8 mm long; pedicel with ovary 12–14 mm long. Flowers white, shining; sepals narrowly oblong or oblong, 10–14 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals narrowly elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 12–13 mm long, 3–4 mm wide; lip concave, obscurely 3-lobed, ovate, obtuse, 15–17 mm long, 7 mm wide; spur S-shaped, enlarged at the mouth and towards the apex, 13–17 mm long.
Habitat:
In montane evergreen forest; 900–2100 m; flowering in January, February, and May.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cold growing epiphyte.
Distribution:
Tanzania (Usambara Mountains).
References:
Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 3 Cribb 1989; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans and Campbell 2006; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 10.03-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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| Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Backmann. Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. |
