Brachycorythis kalbreyeri
Encyclopedia
Brachycorythis kalbreyeri is a species of flowering plant in the Orchidaceae
family. It is endemic to Equatorial Africa
and was first discovered on Mount Cameroon
by Guillermo Kalbreyer
. It was subsequently named after Kalbreyer by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
. The species is unique from others in its genus due to its semi-epiphytic growth habit. Most species in the genus Brachycorythis
are terrestrial. Brachycorythis kalbreyeri, however, can be found growing on trees near streams, on fallen logs, or mossy tree branches. During the dry season
, the species loses its leaves. When the wet season returns the species sends out new growth and eventually flowers. The flowers are 5 cm across and the species can produce up to about 15 flowers. The sepals of the flower are white and the petals have a purplish color over a white background. The lip shares this coloration except that towards the column the lip changes to a bright shade of yellow. The flowers produce a spicy scent.
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
family. It is endemic to Equatorial Africa
Equatorial Africa
Equatorial Africa is an ambiguous term that is sometimes used to refer to tropical Africa, or the region of Sub-Saharan Africa traversed by the equator....
and was first discovered on Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in Cameroon near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its native name Mongo ma Ndemi ....
by Guillermo Kalbreyer
Guillermo Kalbreyer
Wilhelm Kalbreyer was a German plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to collect new plants in West Africa and South America....
. It was subsequently named after Kalbreyer by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
. The species is unique from others in its genus due to its semi-epiphytic growth habit. Most species in the genus Brachycorythis
Brachycorythis
Brachycorythis is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae.- References :*Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.A. & Rasmussen, F. eds. . Genera Orchidacearum 1. Oxford Univ. Press....
are terrestrial. Brachycorythis kalbreyeri, however, can be found growing on trees near streams, on fallen logs, or mossy tree branches. During the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, the species loses its leaves. When the wet season returns the species sends out new growth and eventually flowers. The flowers are 5 cm across and the species can produce up to about 15 flowers. The sepals of the flower are white and the petals have a purplish color over a white background. The lip shares this coloration except that towards the column the lip changes to a bright shade of yellow. The flowers produce a spicy scent.