Ansellia africana Lindl.

"Ansellia africana Lindl.  first found on the island of Bioko (Fernando Po) in West Africa, and is widely distributed throughout tropical Africa. It has even been found in northern Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, north Botswana, Namibia ..." 

Ansellia africana Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 30: sub t. 12 (1844).

Ansellia africana Lindl., Photos by Ansellia africana

Family:

Orchidaceae.

Synonym:

Ansellia africana subsp. australis (Summerh.) Senghas

Ansellia confusa N.E.Br.

Ansellia congoensis Rodigas

Ansellia gigantea Rchb.f.

Ansellia gigantea subsp. nilotica (Baker) Senghas

Ansellia humilis W.Bull

Ansellia nilotica (Baker) N.E.Br.

Cymbidium sandersonii Harv.

English Name:

The African Ansellia - Leopard Orchid

Description: 

As a highly variable, giant sized, robust species varying in size and flower color, with cane-like, fusiform-cylindrical, many noded, yellow pseudobulbs carrying 6 to 7, narrowly ligulate-lanceolate, acute, plicate leaves. They are delicately scented and appreciate higher light on a seemingly terminal yet axillary from nodes near the apex, to 85 cm long panicle that is laxly many [10 to 100] flowered and carries fragrant, light floral scented flowers.

Distribution:

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Ecological:

Along dry warm coasts and rivers to elevations of 2250 m but usually below 750 meters but occasionally as high as 2250 m.

Flowering times:

Blooms in the late spring and summer.

Flower size:

6.5 cm.

Cultivation:

Keep plant in intermediate to warm temperatures and bright light. Plant prefers dry outs between watering. Pot in medium fir bark.

Type:

Jan 1, 1995 Baum, H. [280], Angola K000057803 holotype

Jan 1, 1995 s.coll. [40], Zambia K000057833 holotype

unknown, Nigeria K000242130 holotype

Medicinal uses:

Traditionally, stem infusions are used by the Zulu as antidotes to bad dreams. Smoke from burning roots is inhaled for the same purpose  whereas the leaves and stems are used to make an infusion for treating madness in the Mpika district of Zambia. It is also used for various protective charm purposes and as an aphrodisiac in Zimbabwe. Recent studies have shown that A. africana has potent anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and can be used as an important source of various biomolecules for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Ref:

orchidspecies.com

ipni.org

powo.science.kew.org 

orchidweb.com 

Paromik Bhattacharyya, Johannes Van Staden, Ansellia africana (Leopard orchid): A medicinal orchid species with untapped reserves of important biomolecules—A mini review, South African Journal of Botany, Volume 106, 2016,

orchids.fandom.com