Epiphytic or epilithic monopodial herbs, with stems elongate and sometimes branched, without pseudobulbs
Leaves distichous, sheathing, often imbricate, usually spreading or recurved, oblong to linear, fleshy and somewhat succulent or leathery
Inflorescences few- to many-flowered axillary racemes; flowers white becoming orange; bracts conspicuous, brownish
Sepals and petals free, lanceolate
Lip similar, long-spurred
Gynostemium short and thick, without column-foot; anther operculate, with beak; pollinia 2, with separate stipes and single viscidium; rostellum long, beak-like, projecting forward
Capsule with 3 or 6 wings
x = 23 (polyploidy)
Nomenclature:
Cyrtorchis Schltr.
Schlechter: 595 (1914)
Rolfe: 74 (1912) under Listrostachys
Phillips: 243 (1951) under Listrostachys
Summerhayes: 145 (1960)
Schelpe: 42 (1966)
Harrison: 71 (1972)
Stewart et al.: 271 (1982)
Linder & Kurzweil: 431 (1999)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Species ± 16, Africa
Southern Africa: Species 2, from Northern Province as far south as Knysna (Western Cape)
References:
HARRISON, E.R. 1972. Epiphytic orchids of southern Africa. Natal Branch of the Wildlife Society of Southern Africa
LINDER, H.P. & KURZWEIL, H. 1999. Orchids of southern Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam
PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. The genera of South African flowering plants. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 25
ROLFE, R.A. 1912. Order CXXXI. Orchideae. Flora capensis 5,3
SCHELPE, E.A. 1966. An introduction to the South African Orchids. Purnell & Sons, Cape Town, Johannesburg
SCHLECHTER, R. 1914, 1915. Die Orchideen. Paul Parey, Berlin
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Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
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