Malaxis maclaudii (Finet) Summerh., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1934: 208 (1934).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Microstylis maclaudii Finet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: 533 (1907).
Kornasia maclaudii (Finet) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 121 (1995).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Malaxis hirschbergii Summerh., Bot. Mus. Leafl. 14: 225 (1951).
Description:
Pseudobulbs 5-7 cm long, 0.15-0.2 cm in diameter, fusiform, erect, with 2-4 sheaths in the lower part and 3-4 leaves at the apex. Leaves sessile to petiolate; petiole up to 2 cm long, rather narrow; blade up to 8 cm long and up to 3.8 cm wide, oblong-ovate, oblong-elliptic to ovate, acute, thin-textured, delicate, plicate, spreading. Inflorescence up to 15 cm long, densely up to 40-flowered, subcorymbose, peduncle with 3-4 cauline bracts. Flowers rather small, resupinate, translucent pale yellow, violet clair, red-wine. Floral bracts up to 6.5 mm long, lanceolate, non-auriculated, subulate, thin, delicate, glabrous. Pedicel and ovary 9-17 mm long, slender, glabrous. Dorsal sepal 4.5-6.3 mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, oblong- lanceolate to oblong-ovate, subacute to subobtuse, thin, delicate, glabrous, flat, 3-nerved. Petals 3.6-5.8 mm long, 1.3-2.8 mm wide, obliquely lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute to subobtuse, thin, delicate, margins more or less ciliolate, 3-nerved. Lateral sepals 4-6.2 mm long, 1.8-2.7 mm wide, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acute to subobtuse, thin, delicate, glabrous, flat, 3-nerved. Lip 3.5-4.6 mm long, 3.8-5.6 mm wide, broadly obovate to almost obcordate, truncate at apex or shortly apiculate, thickened along the basal margins, with 2 lateral thickened areas at base, apical margins minutely, irregularly denticulate, in the centre a needle-like projecting point. Gynostemium up to 1.3 mm long.
Habitat:
Terrestrial, in humid humus of the forest with Parinari kerstingii Engl., in deciduous woodlands in sandy soils or grasslands among rocks. April.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Sudan and Zambia
References:
ORCHIDACEAE OF IVORY COAST by Dariusz L. Szlachetko 2008
Images:
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