Cynorkis purpurascens Thouars 1822 SECTION Cynorkis

Another Flower Angle Photo courtesy of Olaf Pronk and Laurette E.U.R.L. orchids of Madagascar

Plant with Flowers Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website.

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Common Name The Shimmering Purple Cynorkis - In Madagascar - Katsakandrango, Fitsotsoka and Tsimpelany

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Madagascar and the Mascarenes on shady rocks or sometimes on mossy tree trunks at elevations of sealevel to 1500 meters as a small to medium sized, cool to hot growing lithophyte or occasional epiphyte with a solitary, deciduous, oval lanceolate leaf that appears with or after a inflorescence has arisen occuring in the spring through fall on a glabrous, saubcorymbiform, 10 to 35 flowered inflorescence with a solitary caulinar sheath.

Synonyms Cynorkis praecox (Schltr.) Schltr. 1924; Cynorkis purpurascens var. praecox Schltr. 1913; Cynosorchis praecox (Schltr.) Schltr. 1924; Cynosorchis purpurascens Thou. 1822; Cynosorchis purpurascens var. praecox Schltr. 1913; Gymnadenia purpurascens (Thouars) A.Rich. 1828; Orchis purpurascens (Thouars) Spreng. 1826

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Historie Particulier des Plantes Orchidees Recueilles Sur Trois Iles Australes d'Afrique Thouars 1822 as Cynosorchis purpurescens drawing hmm; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1878 as Cynosorchis purpurescens; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Die Orchideen #1 1-4 tafel 1&2 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 drawing column only; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 6 2006 photo; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo fide

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