Family Orchidaceae > Subfamily Epidendroideae > Tribe Vandeae > Subtribe Polystachyinae.
This orchid grows in leaf litter among rocks or on the ground.
Up to 2 m high it has thin erect to arching stems that may branch.
Alternately arranged leaves are in 2 ranks (distichous).
The linear to lance-shaped leaves can be nearly 30 cm long.
Leaves have no petiole and their bases sheath the stem.
The long sheaths cover the stem down to the node below.
Leaves have 7 parallel veins.
The sometimes branched terminal inflorescences have numerous flowers.
The peduncle has leaf-like bracts on it.
Flowers, along a short midrib are on a pedicel with narrow bracteoles to 1 cm long at the base.
Flowers are non-resupinate (i.e. upright) with the lip at the top.
The 3 white sepals, around 1 cm long are oblong, elliptic or lance-shaped.
The white lateral petals, up to 1 cm long are oblong or spatula-shaped with the tip curved back.
The upper petal (lip or labellum), around 2 cm long is twice as wide as the laterals.
The narrowed base attaches to the base of the column.
The tip is flat or rounded and the edge wavy or wrinkled.
The lip is white with a hairy yellow streak down the centre.
On either side of the yellow area are a few mauve spots.
The white column in the centre is around 2.5 mm long and almost as wide.
On top of the column is the purple anther cap.
Shorter than the column it has 4 flattened pollinia inside.
A sticky viscidium sticks the pollinia to the floor of the anther cavity.
Below the anther, on the front of the column is the stigmatic cavity.
The inferior ovary matures to a capsule around 3.5 mm long.
J.F.
