Flower Closeup

Photos courtesy of Olaf Pronk and Laurette E.U.R.L. orchids of Madagascar

Common Name The Two Rowed Oberonia [refers to the leaves being aligned in two rows]

Flower Size 1/16" [.2 cm]

Found in Tropical and South Africa, the west Indian Ocean islands and Madagascar in moss forests on trunks and large branches of trees at elevations of 50 to 1500 meters as a miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphytic orchid with an upright stem enveloped completely by clasping oval or oblong, alternate leaves and blooms in the winter on a sessile or shortly pedunculate, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate-acuminate bracts and non-resupinate flowers.

Synonyms Cymbidium equitans Thou. 1822; *Epidendrum distichum Lamk. 1783; Iridorkis equitans Kuntze 1891; Malaxis brevifolia (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1861; Oberonia brevifolia Lindl. 1830; Oberonia equitans (Kuntze) Schltr. 1915; Pleurothallis disticha (Lam.) A.Rich. 1828

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1983; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989 as O equitans; Native Orchids of New Caledonia Societe' Neo-Caledonienne D' Orchidophile 1995 as O equitans; The Orchids of Samoa Cribb & Whistler 1996 as O equitans; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; Field Guide to the Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb & Rasmussen 2004