Orchidaceae
Nervilia

Nervilia renschiana (Rchb.f.) Schltr.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 404 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Africa, Madagascar. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix and P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:1. 1995

Morphology General Habit
Erect terrestrial herb 25–80 cm tall, glabrous except for lip and subterraneaen parts.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tuber 3–3.5 cm in diameter, subspherical or ovoid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf solitary, appearing after flowering, large, prostrate, (5)9–17 cm long and (6)11–19 cm wide, reniform to almost orbicular, deeply cordate at base, apicu­late, glabrous, 11–20-veined, heavily pleated (especially when young); lat­eral veins strongly curved towards the leaf margin; petiole 0–1.5(5) cm long, sulcate with 1–2 sheathing cataphylls when young.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape erect, thick, yel­lowish-brown to purple, laxly to rather densely 3–8-flowered, with 2–4 sheathing cataphylls, the uppermost rarely bract-like and up to c. 4 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large, yellowish tinged with brown; bracts 14–35 × 1–4.2 mm, filamentous to lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Sepals and petals subequal, ligulate-lanceolate, acute, light green to yellowish-green; lateral sepals slightly oblique, 24–27 × 4–5.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip yellowish with reddish veins, 24–38 × 17.5–26 mm, ovate, obscurely 3-lobed, bearing 2 parallel fleshy pubescent ridges from base of lip to base of mid-lobe; side lobes semicircular to oblong, rounded, erect, enclosing the column; mid-lobe ovate, subacute, recurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column curved, 13.5–19 mm (in lowest flower 15–19 mm), clavate, glabrous; anther front rim with two protruding teeth.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
Erect terrestrial herb to 47 cm. tall.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tuber ellipsoidal, white, 3.5 cm. diameter, 1.6 cm. deep.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf prostrate, reniform, with 14–19 prominent veins, 6–12 cm. long, 9–18 cm. wide, apiculate, deeply cordate at base, margin undulate; petiole very short, to 1.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence erect, with 4–8 flowers in a lax raceme; scape yellowish brown to purple, with 3–4 sheathing cataphylls.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers spaced irregularly 1–4 cm. apart, large, to 3.5 cm. long, yellow-green with brown suffusion and a creamy or green lip, ± reddish-purple veined; ovary 0.5 cm. long, purplish; pedicel 0.5–1 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ligulate-lanceolate, to 3 cm. long and 0.6 cm. wide, acute; laterals somewhat oblique and spreading at 45° below horizontal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals narrowly lanceolate, 2.2 cm. long, 0.6 cm. wide, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip ovate-elliptic, obscurely 3-lobed below middle, hairy at base, to 3 cm. long, 2.5 cm. wide; disc with 2 parallel pubescent fleshy ridges from base to the base of the mid-lobe; side lobes semicircular to oblong, rounded; mid-lobe ovate, subacute, recurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column arcuate, dilated towards apex, 1.4–1.9 cm. long; anther-cap obliquely and shortly conical.
Figures
Fig. 55/5, p. 274.
Habitat
In shade in deciduous woodland; 500–900 m.
Distribution
T8
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images