Grandidier’s Harlequin Orchid (Eulophia grandidieri)
This terrestrial species is known exclusively from its type which had been collected in 1901 near the city of Toamasina in eastern Madagascar, a region that is now almost completely deforested.
The species is very likely extinct.
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edited: 11.02.2024
Tag Archives: Orchidaceae
Disperis egregia Summerh.
The Arc Mountains Disperis Orchid was described in 1952, it is, or maybe was, an endemic species of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a mountain range that stretches from Kenya to Tanzania.
The very small species grew terrestrial on mossy rock-faces in dense rainforests at elevations of 900 to about 1050 m. The flowers were pink and appeared on two- to three-flowered inflorescences.
The name of this species appears in listings of extinct and possibly extinct species and is thus mentioned here as well.
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edited: 12.11.2020
Rhipidoglossum orientalis (Mansf.) Szlach. & Olszewski
The Eastern Rhipidoglossum Orchid was described in 2001, apparently on the basis of some old herbarium material.
The species is thought to be (or to have been) endemic to the forests of the Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania; it was obviously last found in 1933 and is believed to be possibly extinct.
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edited: 20.08.2022
Angraecum serpens (H. Perrier) Bosser
The Creeping Angraecum was described in 1970; it was apparently found in a forested locality near the village of Fanovana in the Analanjirofo region at the eastern coast of Madagascar.
This species appears to be extinct.
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edited: 14.11.2021
Bulbophyllum tampoketsense H. Perrier
This species was described in 1937; it originates from central Madagascar.
The name of this species appears in lists of extinct plants and is thus mentioned here briefly until I have more information about it.
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edited: 23.04.2022
Cynorkis rolfei Hochr.
Rolfe’s Cynorkis Orchid (Cynorkis rolfei)
Rolfe’s Cynorkis Orchid was a little terrestrial orchid species endemic to Madagascar, it was described in 1908.
The species is apparently only known from the type and might now be extinct.
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edited: 12.11.2020
Oeceoclades seychellarum (Rolfe ex Summerh.) Garay & P. Taylor
Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid (Oeceoclades seychellarum)
This species was a terrestrial or epiphytic (depending on which source) orchid, that was restricted to the island of Mahé, Seychelles Islands.
The Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid is said to have been very similar in vegetative morphology to the closely related Malagasy Lanceated Oeceoclades Orchid (Oeceoclades lanceata (H. Perrier) Garay & P. Taylor), from which it differed, however, in some floral characteristics, especially by its proportionally shorter lip.
The species is known exclusively from the type specimen that was collected in 1902 in a region that was covered with intact mountain forest at that time, but that now is degraded by human activity and overgrown with introduced invasive plant species.
The Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid is thus considered extinct.
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The species was once cultivated in the Botanical Garden of Kew, Great Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, but seems to have disappeared from there as well.
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References:
[1] Justin Gerlach: Red Listing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012
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edited: 26.11.2018
Polystachya canaliculata Summerh.
Nguru Polystachya (Polystachya canaliculata)
This species is restricted to the forests at the Nguru Mountains in northeastern Tanzania.
The species’ name appears in lists of extinct species thus is mentioned here for the sake of completeness.
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edited: 08.05.2021
Peristylus cryptostylus (Rchb. f.) Ormerod
The Hidden-Column Peristylus was described in 1878, it was a terrestrial orchid growing in the rain forests of Tahiti in the Society Islands.
The species is now considered extinct.
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edited: 09.11.2021
Corybas betchei (F. Muell.) Schltr.
Betche’s Corybas Orchid is known only from the type collection that was made in 1923 on the island of ‘Upolu, Samoa.
This was a very small, only about 5 cm large, terrestrial orchid that grew in the dense shrub layer of montane rain forests, it had a single, up to 3 cm long and 2,6 cm wide, leaf with a cordate base and a acute tip. [1]
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References:
[1] Phillip Cribb; W. Arthur Whistler: Orchids of Samoa. Kew Publishing 1996
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edited: 13.11.2021
Polystachya kupensis P. J. Cribb & B. J. Pollard
Kupe Polystachya (Polystachya kupensis)
This orchid species is known exclusively from the type that was collected in 1996 on the path to Mt. Kupe in the western high plateau of Cameroon.
The species was never recorded again and is possibly extinct.
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edited: 08.05.2021
Nervilia grandiflora Schltr.
Large-flowered Nervilia (Nervilia grandiflora)
This orchid is only known from the type specimen, which was collected in the year 1910 on the island of Sava’i, Samoa.
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The species is most closely related to the Broad-bearded Nervilia (Nervilia platychila Schltr.), which occurs in Melanesia, including New Caledonia, and also on the Fijian Islands, and differs from it mainly by its glabrous leaves.
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References:
[1] Phillip Cribb; W. Arthur Whistler: Orchids of Samoa. Kew Publishing 1996
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edited: 23.03.2018
Bulbophyllum sanguineum H. Perrier
Blood-red Bulbophyllum Orchid (Bulbophyllum sanguineum)
The Blood-red Bulbophyllum Orchid was described in 1937, it is endemic to Madagascar, where it grows, or was growing, as a small epiphyt in the forests at higher elevations.
The species was apparently never found since its description and, given the fact that most of Madagascars forests still are burned down, this species may now quite well be extinct.
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The species is obviously sometimes mistaken for another one, the Red-puncted Bulbophyllum Orchid (Bulbophyllum sanguineopunctatum Seidenf. & A. D. Kerr), which is quite commonly found in cultivation.
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edited: 12.11.2020
Oberonia attenuata Dockrill
Elongated Oberonia (Oberonia attenuata)
The Elongated Oberonia comes from the southern part of the Cape Your Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia, it allegedly also occurs (or occurred) in New Guinea, however.
The species is considered extinct, the reasons therefor, however, appear to be unknown.
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edited: 21.06.2020
Disa ecalcarata (G. J. Lewis) H. P. Linder
Spurless Disa (Disa ecalcarata)
This species is known only from the type material which was collected in 1947 at an unspecified location on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.
The species was never found again and is considered extinct, it might, however, be a hybrid or an aberrant form of another species.
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edited: 15.05.2021
Disa forcipata Schltr.
Forceps-shaped Disa (Disa forcipata)
This species is known from the type alone, which was collected in 1870 at an unknown place probably in the Knysna area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
The species was never found again and is considered extinct.
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edited: 15.05.2021
Dendrobium scirpoides Schltr.
This species is known only from the type collection and was never found again; it might well be extinct.
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References:
[1] Phillip Cribb; W. Arthur Whistler: Orchids of Samoa. Kew Publishing 1996
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edited: 20.01.2022
Bulbophyllum erythroglossum Bosser
The Red-tongued Bulbophyllum Orchid was described in 2000, apparently when it already wasn’t existing anymore.
The species was found in the vicinity of the city of Toamasina in the Atsinanana Region of eastern Madagascar, it was last recorded in 1964 but hasn’t been found since and is thus very likely extinct.
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edited: 23.04.2022
Holothrix culveri Bolus
Culver‘s Holothrix (Holothrix culveri)
Culver’s Holothrix, described in 1905, is a very inconspicuous orchid species that is known exclusively from the type collection, originating from 1890.
The type locality is located close to what today is the town of Barberton in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, and is now completely destroyed by a road that was built right across the site, the habitat is heavily degraded due to spread of informal settlements.
Thus, the species is considered most likely extinct. However, search operations undertaken repeatedly between 2002 and 2006 produced the finding of at least one plant that may be this species, yet there is only this single plant, and its identity has obviously not been confirmed ever since.
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edited: 20.03.2018