Cynorkis debilis (Hook.f.) Summerh.

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Kapishya Springs Lodge, forested inselberg (Chinsali Distr., Muchinga Province)

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Synonyms:	Bicornella debilis (Hook.f.) Szlach. & Kras Bicornella hanningtonii (Rolfe) Szlach. & Kras Cynorkis hanningtonii Rolfe Cynorkis johnsonii Rolfe Habenaria debilis Hook.f.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Slender terrestrial herb, 8-45 cm tall, growing from paired, ovoid,hairy tubers, 1.5-2 cm long. Basal leaves 1-2, often grey-green, elliptic, up to 15 cm long; another 1-2 smaller leaves along the peduncle, sheathing. Inflorescence 4-24 cm, laxly to fairly densely few-many-flowered, flowers more or less secund; bracts lanceolate, 6-7 mm long. Flowers white or pale to deep pink with purple spots on the lip. Dorsal sepal 3-5 mm long convex; lateral sepals spreading, 4-9 mm long' Petals 3-5 mm long, forming a hood together with the dorsal sepal. Lip 5-10 mm long, 5-lobed with 2 small lobes each side near the base. Midlobe much larger. Spur 3-11 mm long, slender, tapering, more or less straight.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	debilis: weak, frail, feeble.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Jan-May
Worldwide distribution:	From Angola through DRC to Tanzania south through Zambia and Malawi to Zimbabwe.
Growth form(s):	Terrestrial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Ball, J.S. (2009). Terrestrial African Orchids, A Selected Review. Pages 32 - 33. (Includes a picture). Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 216 - 217. as Cynorkis hanningtonii (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 318. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 19. As Cynorkis hanningtonii Fibeck, W. & Dare, M. (1993). Terrestrial Orchids in Zimbabwe. Excelsa 16 Page 55. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Fischer, E., Killmann, D., Delepierre, G. & Lebel, J-P. (2010). The Orchids of Rwanda Koblenz Geographical Colloquia Series Biogeographical Monographs 2 Page 159. (Includes a picture). Grosvenor, R.K. (1976). A list of orchids indigenous in Rhodesia. Excelsa 6 Page 79. As Cynorkis hanningtonii La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 53 - 55. as Cynorkis hanningtonii (Includes a picture). La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Pages 47 - 48. as Cynorkis hanningtonii (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 95. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Morris, B. (1967). The epiphytic orchids of Soche Mountain. Historic and Scientific Society of Malawi Journal 20(2) Page 30. As Cynorkis hanningtonii Morris, B. (1970). Epiphytic Orchids of Malawi The Society of Malawi Pages 25 - 26. As Cynorkis hanningtonii Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 118. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1976). A Provisional Checklist of the Orchidaceae of Mozambique South African Journal of Botany 42(4) Page 390. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 133. as Cynorkis hanningtonii Summerhayes, V.S. (1956). African orchids XXIII Kew Bulletin 11(2) Page 218. Summerhayes, V.S. (1957). African orchids XXIV Kew Bulletin 12(1) Page 109. As Cynorkis hanningtonii Summerhayes, V.S. (1968). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 36 - 37. as Cynorkis hanningtonii (Includes a picture). Timberlake, J., Darbyshire, I., Wursten, B., Hadj-Hammou, J., Ballings, P., Mapaura, A., Matimele, H., Banze, A., Chipanga, H., Muassinar, D., Massunde, J., Chelene, I., Osborne, J., Shah, T. (2016). Chimanimani Mountains: Botany and Conservation. Report produced under CEPF Grant 63512. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. Page 47. Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 38 - 39. As Cynorkis hanningtonii (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 84.

Other sources of information about Cynorkis debilis:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Cynorkis debilis
Flora of the DRC: Cynorkis debilis
Flora of Malawi: Cynorkis debilis
Flora of Mozambique: Cynorkis debilis
Flora of Zambia: Cynorkis debilis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cynorkis debilis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Cynorkis debilis
African Plant Database: Cynorkis debilis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Cynorkis debilis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Cynorkis debilis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Cynorkis debilis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Cynorkis debilis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Cynorkis debilis
JSTOR Plant Science: Cynorkis debilis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Cynorkis debilis
Plants of the World Online: Cynorkis debilis
Tropicos: Cynorkis debilis
Wikipedia: Cynorkis debilis