Jumellea arachnantha
Jumellea arachnantha (Rchb.f.) Schltr.
Jumellea arachnantha (Rchb.f.) Schltr., 1915 is an orchid species found in the Comoros and Madagascar. It is an epiphytic plant with large, oblong leaves and a long peduncle bearing multiple inflorescences. The flowers are white, with a spathulate lip and a spurred ovary. The species is closely related to J. gladiator and J. phalaenophora, which are considered synonyms due to overlapping morphological traits and habitat.
Description
Jumellea arachnantha is an epiphytic orchid in the Orchidaceae family. It is acaulescent or sub-acaulescent with large leaves (28–45 × 3–6 cm), oblong in shape and bilobate at the apex. The peduncle is 7–25 cm long, bearing 5–6 sterile bracts. Inflorescences are numerous (2–10), with a tubular fertile bract at the base of the pedicellate ovary (4–10 cm). The white flowers have perianth parts of equal size (22–30 × 10–15 mm), a spathulate lip (30–45 × 10–15 mm), and a 4–6.5 cm spur. The column is short and thin, with acute rostellum lobes and a crested anther cap. J. arachnantha is morphologically similar to J. gladiator and J. phalaenophora, with differences in peduncle and ovary lengths being considered variable and insufficient for distinction. These species are therefore treated as conspecific.
Distribution
Comoros · Madagascar
Synonyms
Jumellea gladiatorJumellea phalaenophoraJumellea sagittataMystacidium arachnanthusMystacidium gladiatorMystacidium phalaenophorumAeranthes arachnanthaAeranthes gladiatorAeranthes phalaenophoraAngraecum gracilipes
