Brachycorythis velutina Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 483 (1915).
Description:
Terrestrial herb 25–70 cm tall with fleshy, cylindrical, tuberous, villous roots. Leaves numerous, overlapping, up to 5 × 1.5 cm in the middle of the stem, lanceolate or ovate, acuminate, densely pubescent. Inflorescence 8–13 × 2.5–4 cm, densely many-flowered; ovary and pedicel 1.2–2 cm long; bracts leaf-like, up to 25 × 7 mm, densely pubescent. Flowers cream-coloured or greenish-brown, lip yellow. Sepals 5–6.5 × 2.5–4 mm, pubescent outside; dorsal sepals elliptic, obtuse; lateral sepals obliquely ovate. Petals 4.5–5 × 1.7–2.5 mm, oblong, obtuse, glabrous. Lip hypochile 2–2.5 mm long and deep, cup-shaped, rounded; epichile projecting forwards horizontally, 4.5–6 × 3.8–5.8 mm, obovate, 3-lobed towards the apex, the mid-lobe longer than the side lobes. Column stout, 2.5–3.5 mm long.
Habitat:
Grassland and open woodland 1500–1800 m.
Distribution:
Tanzania to Zimbabwe
