Eulophia norlindhii Summerh. 1937

Plant In Situ Zimbabwe Photos by Bart Wursten ©, and his Flora Of Zimbabwe WebSite

Common Name Norlind's Eulophia [South African Cocollector of Species 1900's]

Flower Size 3/4" 1.8 cm]

Found in Central African Republic, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe in Brachystegia woodlands at elevations of 500 to 1500 meters as a very small, slender hot to warm growing terrestrial. This is one of the smallest and most inconspicuous species in the genus, usually less than 15 cm tall, and likely to be overlooked. It is leafless at flowering time which is in the spring. The orchid has subterraean, ovoid to elliptic, several noded tubers giving rise to 2 to 7, vestigal, brownish, leaves that blooms on 1 to 3, 7 to 20 flowered, often secund, inflorescence with a median, short sheath. Flowers drooping and not opening widely.

Synonyms Eulophia milnei var. norlindhii (Summerh.) Geerinck 1992

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing fide; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 3 Cribb 1989; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 2 Pope 1998; Terrestrial African Orchids, A select Review John S. Ball 2009 drawing fide

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