Flora of North America species comparison

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Polystachya concreta

greater yellowspike orchid, yellow spike orchid
Habit Plants cespitose.
Roots

numerous, 2–3 mm diam.
Stems

thickened at base, hidden by leaf sheaths, composed of several internodes, to 4 cm.
Leaves

2–4;

blade thin, narrowly oblong to elliptic, 3.5–20 × 1.1–3 cm, apex mostly acute.
Inflorescences

usually paniculate racemes, simple racemes in small plants;

peduncle compressed;

floral bracts spreading to reflexed, 1–2 mm.
Flowers

yellow or pale green with white lip;

dorsal sepal ovate-elliptic, 2.5–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

lateral sepals triangular, 2.5–5 mm;

petals oblanceolate, rounded, 2–3 × 1 mm;

lip 3-lobed, 3–5 mm, middle lobe quadrangular to oblong, lateral lobes falcate;

disc with linear, densely farinose callus (pseudopollen);

column cylindric, short;

column foot 2–3 mm; pedicellate ovary to 7 mm.
Capsules

brown at maturity, ellipsoid, 6–12 mm.

Polystachya concreta
Phenology Flowering Aug–early Dec.
Habitat Cypress swamps, hammocks, mangroves
Elevation 0–20 m (0–100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; pantropical (see discussion below)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Most plants of Polystachya concreta flower from August to December; some flower at other times of the year. In Florida, Polystachya concreta [P. flavescens (Blume) J. J. Smith] is pollinated by the halictid bee, Dialictus aff. creberrimus (G. J. Goss 1977b). The bee collects the detachable, starchy lip hairs (pseudopollen).

An extensive list of synonomy is available (G. C. K. Dunsterville and L. A. Garay [1959]–1976, vol. 3), but after discussions with Phillip Cribb (pers. comm.), we suspect that the African and Asian synonyms represent different species (see also P. J. Cribb 1984). For this reason, we have excluded them from the list, even though some of them are often used for neotropical plants. Furthermore, Polystachya concreta is not as widespread in the Neotropics as formerly believed; it is absent from Mexico and Central America (J. T. Atwood, G. Carnevali F.-C., R. L. Dressler, pers. comm.).

Cranichis luteola Swartz and Polystachya luteola (Swartz) Hooker are not legitimate names.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 618.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Epidendroideae > tribe Epidendreae > subtribe Polystachynae > Polystachya
Synonyms Epidendrum concretum, Epidendrum minutum, P. extinctoria, P. minuta
Name authority (Jacquin) Garay & H. R. Sweet: in R. A. Howard, Fl. Less. Antill. 1: 178. (1974)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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