Eulophia sclerophylla Rchb.f., Flora 68: 542 (1885).
Homotypic Names:
Eulophidium sclerophyllum (Rchb.f.) Summerh., Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 27: 402 (1957).
Oeceoclades sclerophylla (Rchb.f.) Garay & P.Taylor, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 24: 271 (1976).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Eulophia elliotii Rolfe, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 29: 52 (1891).
Lissochilus elliotii (Rolfe) H.Perrier, Fl. Madagasc. 49(2): 47 (1941).
Description:
Plants terrestrial, pseudobulbs narrow, distant (2-3 cm), the new bulb developing prior to the inflorescence, leaves very narrow (20-30 cm x 4-6 mm), acute, graminiform. Inflorescence thin and elongated; peduncle 3-4 times longer than the raceme, with 3-4 short, slightly visible sheaths; raceme loosely 9-12 flowered: bracts narrowly lanceolate-acute, 2 mm long, and flowers 22 mm long. Sepals oblanceolate-obtuse (8 x 2 mm), wider in the apical third, attenuate basally and with the median vein being the only one visible. Petals oblong-obtuse, of the same length but slightly wider and with 3 obvious veins. Labellum (8 x 4 mm) 4 lobed, the 4 lobes very obtuse or rounded apically and divericate, 2 large (2 mm) calluses forming a triangular-obtuse lamina basally, 17 veined, 4 branching in each of the lower lobes, 3 in the frontal lobes and 3 in the median lobe, the 2 laterals shortly bifurcated apically; spur 4 mm long, slightly enlarged at the obtuse apex, smaller basally. Column 3.6 mm long, attenuate basally. Rostellum with its median lobe shortly triangular-obtuse, the lateral lobes reduced to rounded teeth. Anther not known.
Habitat:
In deciduous coastal forests at elevations up to 200 meters.
Distribution:
Comoros, SE. Madagascar
References:
Cribb, P., Hermans, J. & Rakotoarinivo, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar: 1-456; Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015; A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018; Expansion of the orchid genus Eulophia (Eulophiinae; Epidendroideae) to include Acrolophia, Cymbidiella, Eulophiella, Geodorum, Oeceoclades and Paralophia by Mark W. Chase, André Schuiteman & Pankaj Kumar. Phytotaxa 491 (1); POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 26 November 2022."
Images:
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