Brachycorythis kalbreyeri Rchb. f. 1878 Photo courtesy of Carl Withner
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EARLY
Common Name Kalbreyer's Brachycorythis [German Orchid collector, central Africa and South America 1800's]
Flower Size Up to 2" [5 cm]
A small to medium sized, cold to warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte from Guinea, Liberia, Siera Leone, Cameroon, Congo, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia in rainforests and riverine forests, often on fallen mossy logs at elevations of 1800 to 2350 meters with subterranean tubers giving rise to a pubescent to glabrous stem carrying to 15 lanceolate, acute, thin leaves that blooms in the spring on a racemose, 6 3/4" [17 cm] long, cylindrical, inflorescence with laxly several to many [22], spicily fragrant flowers. This species requires deep shade, high humidity, cold to warm conditions and a lessening of water and fertilizer after flowering as the leaves begin to fall as well as potted in a light, free-darining mix.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1878; Flora or Tropical East Africa Part 1 Summerhayes 1968; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing fide; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; African Orchids in the wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995
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