Orthochilus thomsonii (Rolfe) Bytebier

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Orthochilus thomsonii

Photo: Marc Stalmans
Nyika National Park.

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Synonyms: Eulophia thomsonii Rolfe
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Terrestrial herb 20–40 cm tall, growing from chain-forming irregularly shaped tubers, 2.5–4 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide. Leaves 1–2, linear, grass-like, 15–32 cm, just starting to develop at flowering time. Inflorescence densely several-many-flowered, in a subspherical head 5–7 cm wide. Bracts linear-lanceolate, 15–25 cm long. Flowers not opening wide, creamy-white, with a deep purple blotch on the mid-lobe of the lip and a yellow or cream papillose patch near the throat. Sepals lanceolate; dorsal sepal 19–25 mm long; lateral sepals 21–30 mm long. Petals elliptic-lanceolate, 18–24 mm long. Lip 3-lobed, 16.5–20 mm long; side lobes erect, narrowly elliptic; mid-lobe elliptic to suborbicular, 10–12 mm long, rounded; spur 1–3 mm long, conical, recurved. Capsule 15–20 mm long, pendent.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: thomsonii: after Joseph Thomson (1858-1895), Scottish explorer, geologist and naturalist for the Royal Geographical Society in East Central Africa.
Habitat: In montane grassland.
Altitude range: 1550 - 2380 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Tanzania, northern Malawi and Zambia (Nyika only).
Malawi distribution: N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status: Near Endemic
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Saturday 9 November 2019
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 325. As Eulophia thomsonii

La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1998). Orchidaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 11(2) Pages 505 - 507. As Eulophia thomsonii (Includes a picture).

La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 305. As Eulophia thomsonii (Includes a picture).

Martos, F., Johnson, S.D., Peter, C.I & Bytebier, B. (2014). A molecular phylogeny reveals paraphyly of the large genus Eulophia (Orchidaceae): A case for the reinstatement of Orthochilus Taxon 63(1) Page 20.

Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 41 - 42. As Eulophia thomsonii (Includes a picture).

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 120. As Eulophia thomsonii

Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 154 - 155. As Eulophia thomsonii (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Orthochilus thomsonii:

Our websites:

Flora of Zambia: Orthochilus thomsonii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Orthochilus thomsonii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Orthochilus thomsonii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Orthochilus thomsonii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Orthochilus thomsonii
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Orthochilus thomsonii
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Orthochilus thomsonii
JSTOR Plant Science: Orthochilus thomsonii
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Orthochilus thomsonii
Plants of the World Online: Orthochilus thomsonii
Tropicos: Orthochilus thomsonii
Wikipedia: Orthochilus thomsonii


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Orthochilus thomsonii.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=210140, retrieved 20 April 2024

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