Brachycorythis pleistophylla

Family: Orchidaceae

What it is like

An ground orchid. It is a herb that grows 40-90 cm tall. It has fleshy, woolly cylinder shaped roots. There are several overlapping leaves. These are 10 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. They are sword shaped and taper to the tip. The flowering stalk is 12-25 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. It has many flowers in a dense arrangement. The flowers are red to purple.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Root, tuber

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ligosi

Synonyms

Brachycorythis briartiana Kraenzl.; Brachycorythis macclouniei Braid; Brachycorythis perrieri Schltr.; Brachycorythis pulchra Schltr.; Platanthera pleistophylla (Rchb.f.) Schltr.;