Stenoglottis woodii Schltr., Ann. Transvaal Mus. 10: 242 (1924).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Stenoglottis woodii f. galantha J.M.H.Shaw, Orchid Rev. 115(1278, Suppl.): 24 (2007).
Description:
Lithophytic or terrestrial. Leaves 6-12, broadly lanceolate to oblanceolate, unspotted, concolourous green, margins flat, entire, up to 14.5 x 3.5 cm. Inflorescence up to 50 cm tall with 15-65 flowers; sheaths unspotted. Bracts lanceolate, acute to acuminate, unspotted, sheathing, always shorter than the ovaries, 6.0-15.0 x 2.5-5.0 mm. Flowers white to pale pink, often spotted with a darker shade of pink or purple on the labellum only; not self-pollinating. Sepals ovate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, acute to obtuse, dorsal concave, laterals oblique 3.7-6.2 x 2.0-3.6 mm, laterals slightly longer. Petals ovate, oblique, acute, 3.2-4.8 x 2.3-3.4 mm. Labellum spurred, broadly obovate to cuneate in outline, 7-12 x 48-8.4 mm; side lobes broad, truncate or rounded, margins usually entire, rarely shallowly incised; midlobe narrower than side lobes, obtuse to acute, subequal or slightly longer than side lobes; spur short and straight, sub-saccate, 0.4-1.5 mm x 0.4-0.7 mm at the apex, without nectar. Column up to 2.0 mm long; stigmatic arms parallel to labellum in mature flowers, curving outward; auricles large, clavate, up to 0.8 mm x 0.5 mm at the apex, projecting beyond the anther between the pollinia and stigmas. Ovary 10.5-18.5 mm long.
Read more of Cultivation of Stenoglottis woodii Schltr.,
Habitat:
Stenoglottis woodii is restricted to KwaZulu-Natal, where it occurs in the Highflats area near Ixopo and at several localities near Durban and Pietermaritzburg at elevations of 600-1000 m. It tends to prefer somewhat drier and more exposed conditions than S. fimbriata, S. longifolia and S. inandensis. It occurs most commonly in partial shade on forest margins along the tops of south-facing cliffs, occasionally in grassland in full sun on rocky outcrops adjacent to forest patches or forested gorges as a lithophyte or terrestrial in shallow soil. These habitat preferences are not obligate, however, because the plants also occur less frequently in deep shade on boulders in forests.
Phenology:
It flowers December-March and is not self-pollinating.
References:
Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. Hawkes, A. (1965) 1987. Encyclopaedia of cultivated orchids. Faber and Faber, London. Kew Data Base. 2008. http.//apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do la Croix, I. and E. la Croix. 1997. African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Marais, F. Undated. Comments to an interned orchid group from a South African grower on the cultivation of Stenoglottis species. Stewart, J., with H. Linder, E. Schlepe, and A. Hall. 1982. Wild Orchids of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Ltd., Johannesburg.; A Review of the Genus Stenoglottis Lindley By Gavin McDonald; A taxonomic revision of Stenoglottis (Orchideae, Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae),Phytotaxa 456 (3): 219–243, 02 September 2020. By Dean P. Phillips & Benny Bytebier: POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 20 November 2022."
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.