Eulophia parvula (Rendle) Summerh., Kew Bull. 12: 125 (1957).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Lissochilus parvulus Rendle, J. Bot. 33: 196 (1895).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Eulophia tanganyikae Kraenzl., Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique 38: 216 (1900).
Eulophia ledermannii Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 48: 394 (1912).
Eulophia lisowskii Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 38: 461 (1993).
Description:
Very slender terrestrial herb 20–60 cm tall. Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, 1.5–3.5 × 2.2–2.6 cm, irregularly conical, forming chains. Leaves c. 7, 10–30 × 0.8–1.3 mm, linear, acute, not plicate, absent at flowering time. Inflorescence rather laxly many-flowered; capsules starting to develop before the flowers fade. Pedicel and ovary 12–15 mm long; bracts 5–7 mm long. Flowers very small, yellow-green streaked with purple or chocolate-brown with a yellow lip. Sepals 4–5 × 2.2–3 mm, oblong-elliptic, obtuse. Petals 4–5 × 3.5–5 mm, broadly ovate to suborbicular. Lip 5–6 × 4–5 mm, 3-lobed; side lobes erect, joined at base to column; mid-lobe 3–4 × 3–3.8 mm, convex, suborbicular, obtuse; spur conical, very short, c. 1 mm long. Column 2–2.5 mm long. Fruit 15–20 mm long, purple, pendent.
Habitat:
Dry miombo woodlands, and dambo or open grassland, usually after fire, usually on sandy soil 760–1450 m.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
Nigeria to Sudan and Zimbabwe
References:
Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae (Part 3); Flora of West Tropical Africa, Vol 3, Part 1; Flore D'afrique Centrale: Notes Systématiques et Floristiques: A propos des "Orchidaceae Lisowskianae" D. Greerinch, Bulletin du Jardin botanique national de Belgique / Bulletin van de National Plantentuin van België, Vol. 64, No. 1/2 (Jun. 30, 1995), pp. 209-213; African Orchids: XXIV V. S. Summerhayes, Kew Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1957), pp. 107-126
Images:
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Photograph© Biodiversity and Landscape Unit. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Biodiversity and Landscape Unit. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Biodiversity and Landscape Unit. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Biodiversity and Landscape Unit. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Biodiversity and Landscape Unit. Image used with kind permission.