Neobathiea keraudrenae Toill.-Gen. & Bosser, Naturaliste Malgache 13: 25 (1964).
Description:
Epiphytic plants with stems 10 cm long or more, with numerous adventitious, fleshy roots. Leaves 4—5, lying in one plane, 5-5 x 2 cm, oblong to spathulate, narrowing at the base, bilobed at the apex. Inflorescence as long as the leaves, 1-2-flowered; peduncle slender, 3-4cm long; bracts brown, ovate, 3.5 cm long. Flowers fleshy, greenish-white. Sepals 10 x 4mm, spathulate, rounded or somewhat apiculate at the apex. Petals similar, but slightly longer and broader. Lip entire, glabrous, horizontal, subpandurate (fiddleshaped), 20 x 12 mm; spur 13 cm long, filiform. Column 2.5 mm long, with rounded auricles at the apex.
Etymology:
This charming species was described in 1962 by J Toilliez-Genoud and J Bosser and named in honour of Mlle Keraudren, who collected the type specimen.
Habitat:
This very rare species occurs in humid, high altitude forest east of Lake Alaotra.
Notes:
It has a long spur, like Neobathiea grandidieriana, but differs mainly in the subpandurate lip.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
EC. Madagascar
References:
Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans & Campbell 2007; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 09.03-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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