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Bolusiella iridifolia (Rolfe) Schltr. Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 106 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Listrostachys iridifolia Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 167 (1897).
Description:
Epiphytic herb with non-branching stem, 5-9 mm long, internodes 0.8-4.0 mm long. Leaves deeply sulcate on upper surface, 15-38 x 2-4 mm, acinaciform, with bilobate apex. Inflorescences 30-81 mm long, 5-26 flowered. Floral bracts brown, widely triangular, 1.4-3.1 x 1.2-3.4 mm, smaller than flowers, with an acuminate apex, sheathing, and not imbricate in the sterile portion of the inflorescence. Flowers 3.1-4.6 mm long, 1.8-3.1 mm diameter, 1.0-2.5 mm apart from one another. Dorsal sepal triangular, 2-3 x 0.7-1.2 mm. Lateral sepals triangular, 2.1-3.2 x 0.8-1.2 mm, carinate. Petals oval, 1.1-2.5 x 1.0-1.4 mm. Lip triangular, 1.5-2.3 x 0.7-1.0 mm. Spur cylindrical, at right angle to slightly curled under the lip, 1.2-1.9 mm long and 0.4-0.6 mm diameter. Column 0.8-1.0 mm long. Ovary 1.2-2.1 mm long and 0.5-1.1 mm diameter.
Etymology:
This species was named for the resemblance of its leaves to those of Iris.
Habitat:
Epiphyte in highly humid forest (temporarily to permanently swampy forests) or in more disturbed areas such as coffee or cocoa plantations or on isolated trees. This species can be found at elevations ranging from 100-2,150 m. Flowering peaks in June and in August-February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cold growing epiphye.
Distribution:
Widespread in tropical Africa: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Sao Tomé & Príncipe (Sâo Tomé), Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe and the Comoros.
References:
Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968 photo ok; Malawi Orchids La Croix 1983; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 3 Cribb 1989; African Orchids in the Wild and in Cultivation La Croix 1997; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 2 Pope 1998; Field Guide to the Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb & Rasmussen 2004; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans and Campbell 2006; Taxonomic revision of the genus Bolusiella (Orchidaceae, Angraecinae) with a new species from Cameroon, Burundi and Rwanda,by Simon Verlynde, Jean-yves Dubuisson, Tariq Stévart, Murielle simo-Droissart, Daniel Geerinck, Bonaventure Sonké, Valérie Cawoy, Pascal Descourvières & Vincent Droissart, Phytotaxa 114 (1): 1-22 (2013); WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 24.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ
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.