Nervilia ballii G. Will.

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (9)

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By entrance road to Southern Cross Farm, Chegutu

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By road to Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By road to Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By road to Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area

Nervilia ballii

Picture: Bart Wursten
By road to Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area

Specimen citations: Display citations Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Nervilia sp. of Moriarty, Wild Flowers of Malawi: 57 (1975).
Nervilia sp. no. 3 sensu Grosvenor (1976)
Nervilia sp. (Williamson & Drummond 1639) of Williamson, Orch. S. Centr. Africa: 143 (1977).
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Erect terrestrial up to c. 30 cm high. Tuber subspherical to ovoid, up to 17 mm in diameter. Leaf solitary, apearing after flowering, erect, ovate, upto 6 × 4 cm, acute at the apex, hairless, pleated, dark olive green above with silvery lines along the veins, dark purple beneath; petiole c. 6 cm long. Inflorescence 1-flowered, rarely 2-flowered with 3-4 sheathing leaf-like bracts up to 4 cm long. Flower greenish, reddish tinged on the outside and red veins on the inside; lip cream to pale yellow with prominent red to purple venation, oblong-ovate, obscurely 3-lobed,18-25 mm long, with 2 fleshy pubescent ridges on the mid-lobe.
Type location:
Zimbabwe, Vumba
Notes: The striking olive-green and purple colours make this species easily recognizable when in leaf.
Derivation of specific name: ballii: named after John Ball, orchidologist, who collected the type for this species.
Habitat: In woodland and grassland.
Altitude range: 600 - 1500 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): W,E,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Nw,E,Lk,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Sunday 25 January 2015
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 331. (Includes a picture).

Champluvier, D. (2002). Contribution to the study of the genus Pseuderanthemum (Acanthaceae) in tropical Africa (in French) Pages 142 - 143. As Nervilia sp. (Williamson & Drummond 1639) (Includes a picture).

Cribb, P.J. (1984). Orchidaceae (Part 2) Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 275 - 277.

Fibeck, W. & Dare, M. (1993). Terrestrial Orchids in Zimbabwe. Excelsa 16 Page 67.

Grosvenor, R.K. (1976). A list of orchids indigenous in Rhodesia. Excelsa 6 Page 84. as Nervilia sp. no. 3 (Wild 4174)

La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 265 - 266. (Includes a picture).

La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Pages 167 - 168. (Includes a picture).

La Croix, I.F. & La Croix T.M. (1983). Orchids of Bvumbwe The Society of Malawi Journal 36(2) Page 17.

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 97.

Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 57 - 58. as Nervilia sp. (Includes a picture).

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 123.

Other sources of information about Nervilia ballii:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Nervilia ballii
Flora of Mozambique: Nervilia ballii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Nervilia ballii

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Nervilia ballii.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=117890, retrieved 29 March 2024

Site software last modified: 10 May 2018 10:51pm
Terms of use