Ansellia

Taxobox
name = Ansellia

---

image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Ansellia africana"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Orchidaceae
subfamilia = (higher) Epidendroideae
tribus = Cymbidieae
subtribus = Cyrtopodiinae
alliance = Cymbidium
genus = "Ansellia"
genus_authority = Lindl.
species = "A. africana"
binomial = "Ansellia africana"
binomial_authority = Lindl.
subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
subdivision =
* "Ansellia africana" subsp. "africana"
* "Ansellia africana" subsp. "australis"

Ansellia is a monotypic genus of orchid, with only one species, "Ansellia africana", commonly known as African Ansellia or Leopard Orchid. 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. This genus is abbreviated as Aslla in horticultural trade.

Distribution and habitat

This orchid 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).

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), delicately scented flowers, 6 cm across.

The three-lobed lip grows into three yellow projections. The tepals are yellow or greenish yellow, lightly or heavily marked with brown spots.

Intergeneric hybrids

The Royal Horticultural Society [http://www.rhs.org.uk/research/registerpages/orchid_parentage.asp International Orchid Register] lists crosses between Ansellia and eight other genera: Anaphorchis (xGraphorchis), Ansidium (xCymbidium), Catasellia (xCatasetum), Cycsellia, (xCychnoches), Cyrtellia (xCyrtopodium), Eulosellia (xEulophia), Galeansellia (xGaleandra), and Promellia (xPromenaea),