Orchidaceae. Tribe Ophrydeae.
Brachycorythis, Lindl.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 632.
Brachycorythis pubescens, Harv. Thes. Cop. i. 35, t. 54; Fl. Cap. vol. v.
sect. 3, p. 86; Bolus, Orchids of S. Afr. tab. 73.
The genus Brachycorythis is represented in Africa by over twenty species, five of which occur in South Africa, and of these three are endemic. The species described here is known from the Cape Province, Natal, Zululand, Swaziland and the northern Transvaal, and extends into tropical Africa. Its occurrence near Pretoria, in a totally different botanical area, is therefore interesting. Harvey first described the plant from specimens found near Durban by Mr. Sanderson, who stated it was plentiful in the neighbourhood.
This attractive little orchid was collected by General the Rt. Hon. J. C. Smuts on the farm Rietvlei No. 221, at Irene, near Pretoria, at an altitude of about 5000 ft. above sea-level. The plant was found in open grassland in deep red loam soil. It has large spreading finger-like tubers and slightly scented flowers.
Description:—A herbaceous plant with long finger-like tubers about 1 cm. thick. Stem with inflorescence up to 50 cm. high. Leaves erect, crowded 6 cm. long, 3·2 cm. broad at the base of the stem, becoming smaller above, ovate, acuminate, shortly cuspidate, clasping at the base, with the midrib prominent beneath, densely pubescent, with the margins shortly ciliated and somewhat undulate. Inflorescence up to 17 cm. long, racemose, many-flowered. Bracts similar to the leaves but smaller. Upper sepal 5 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, elliptic, rounded above, concave, sparsely pubescent without; lateral sepals 4 mm. long, 2·5 mm. broad, oblong, unequal sided, rounded above, concave, sparsely pubescent without. Lateral petals 6 mm. long, 3·5 mm. broad, oblong, rounded above, concave, unequal sided. Lip 9 mm. long, 7 mm. broad, obovate, 3-lobed, the middle lobe smaller than the two lateral lobes, narrowed in the middle and then expanded to form a deep pouch. Anther cells parallel; pollinia granular, each attached to a separate gland.
[Plate 103.]—Fig. 1, lower part of plant showing tubers; 2, flower (enlarged); 3, median longitudinal section of flower; 4, sepals; 5, petal; 6, lip; 7, column showing pollinia sacs; 8, pollinium.
F.P.S.A., 1923.