Satyrium parviflorum Sw. 1800 SECTION Satyrium

Inflorescence in situ South Africa

Plant in situ South Africa Photos by Cameron McMasters ©

LATE

Common Name The Small Flowered Satyrium

Flower Size

Found in Lesotho, Swaziland and Cape, Natal, Orange free State and Transvaal South Africa in open high altitude grasslands and in shady forests at elevations of 900 to 2200 meters as a medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with 2 to 4, thick, ovate, acute, basal leaves on a separate shoot from the small bract-like leafy flowering stem that blooms in the late spring and summer on an erect, loosely several to many [20 to 100] flowered inflorescence carrying non-resupinate, sweet-spicy scented flowers.

CAUTION If the orchid you are looking for has leaves adpressed to the ground and yellow flowers then it is the distinct species S flavum.

Synonyms Diplectrum parviflorum (Sw.) Pers. 1807; Satyrium aphyllum Schltr. 1897; Satyrium cassideum Lindl. 1838; Satyrium densiflorum Lindl. 1838; Satyrium eriostomum Lindl. 1838; Satyrium lydenburgense Rchb.f. 1881; Satyrium tenuifolium Kraenzl. 1898; Satyrium wilmsianum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 24: 505 (1898

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; The Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Schelpe, Linder and Hall 1982 photo fide; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzwell 1999 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008; Orchid Digest Vol 77 #3 2013 photo fide;

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