| Ansellia africana | |||||||||||||||||
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Ansellia africana is the only species in the genus Ansellia.
Description[]
This is a large, perennial epiphyte, or at times a terrestrial plant, growing in sometimes spectacular clumps, attached to the branches of tall trees. The white, needle-like, aerial roots are characteristic for this orchid. They point upwards, taking the form of a trash basket around the tall, many-noded, fusiform, canelike, yellow pseudobulbs, catching the decaying leaves and detritus upon which the plant feeds. These pseudobulbs can develop a gigantic size, up to 60 cm long. This robust orchid can grow very large, sometimes with an estimated weight over a tonne. Even eagle owls (Bubo bubo) have been seen to make their nest in such a clump.
These pseudobulbs carry on their top 6 to 7, narrowly ligulate-lanceolate, acute, plicate, leathery leaves. They give rise to a paniculate inflorescence, up to 85 cm long, with many (10 to 100), muskey scented flowers, 6 cm across. Plant flowers in late spring to summer.
The three-lobed lip grows into three yellow projections. The tepals are yellow or greenish yellow, lightly or heavily marked with brown spots.
Distribution[]
Plant is native to tropical and South Africa, found alongside coasts and rivers in the canopy of trees, usually at elevations lower than 700 m (occasionally up to 2,200 m)
Culture[]
Keep plant in intermediate to warm temperatures and bright light. Plant prefers dry outs between watering. Pot in medium fir bark.
Varities[]
| Image | Name | Description |
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Ansellia africana var. 'alba' | Sepals and petals are yellow, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Alkmaar' | Sepals and petals are yellow with medium size brown spots, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Ellis' | Sepals and lip is yellow, petals are yellow with small size brown spots near the center |
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Ansellia africana 'Mt Carmel' | Sepals and petals are yellow with large brown patterns, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Pepper Tree' | Sepals and petals are yellow with linear brown patterns, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Spitskop' | Sepals and petals are green with large brown spots, lip is yellow. Plant is awarded with AM from the AOS |
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Ansellia africana 'Sopp' | Sepals and petals are yellow with thin brown spots, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Steven' | Sepals and petals are yellow with reddish spots, lip is yellow |
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Ansellia africana 'Tiger Stripes' | Sepals and petals are yellow with heavily spotted brown patterns, lip is yellow |
Naming[]
Ansellia africana in Lindenia Iconographie des Orchidées
It was named after John Ansell, an English assistant botanist. who found the first specimens in 1841 on the Fernando Po Island in West Africa.
Common Name:Leopard Orchid, The African Ansellia
Synonyms[]
- Ansellia africana var. australis Summerh.
- Ansellia africana var. nilotica Baker 1875
- Ansellia africana var. nilotica Baker 1875
- Ansellia confusa N.E.Brown 1886
- Ansellia congoensis Rodigas 1886
- Ansellia gigantea Rchb.f 1847
- Ansellia gigantea subsp. nilotica (Baker) Senghas 1990
- Ansellia gigantea var. nilotica (Baker) Summerh. 1937
- Ansellia humilis Bulliard 1891
- Ansellia nilotica [Baker]N.E.Brown 1886
- Cymbidium sandersoni Harv. 1868