琉球指柱蘭

Stems ascending from a decumbent rhizome, fleshy, terete, up to 5 cm, purple-brown; rhizomes moniliform, 8-10 mm in diameter. Leaves 3-6, basal ones distantly spaced, broadly ovate or ovate, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-1.6 cm wide, acute at apex, obtuse or sub-truncate at base, dark green on upper surface, purple-red on lower surface. Peduncle hairy, 2-4 sheathed, generally less than 5 cm tall by opening of lowest flower, gradually elongate to 10-20 cm; bracts ovate, glabrous or hairy at base. Flowers few to more than 10, resupinate; ovary sparsely hairy; sepals pale green and tinged with brown, hairy at base , 4.5-5 mm long, connate for 3/5 of their length, sepal tube about 5 mm wide when flattened; petals white, oblong-oblanceolate, 4.5 mm long, obtuse, appressed to upper sepal and forming a hood; lip white, 6 mm long, tripartite, hypochileshallowly saccate at base, with bifurcate or tufted cylindrical appendages, mesochile short, claw-like, epichile bilobed, lobes broadly cuneate, with an erose or dentate apex, up to 2.5 mm long, with a coloured patch at base, patch green when young, turning pale reddish brown at withering; column erect, 2.2-2.4 mm long; stylids broader than rostellar arms, lateral edges slightly inrolled and embracing rostellar arms; anther broadly ovate, 1.2 mm long; pollinia 2, sectile, 1.2 mm long, attached to a tegula stipe near end; stigma 2, on lateral base of rostellum; rostellar arms with acuminate apex, tegula narrowly elliptic, 1 mm long.

MIAOLI: Nanchuang, Lin 354. TAICHUNG: Chiapaotai, Leou 3548, Su 8160. Nantou: Hoshe, Leou 4149. PINGTUNG: Shouka, Leou 4043. TAITUNG: Tienlong Bridge, Su 9273; Lanyu Is., Leou 3459. HUALIEN: Lungchien, Leou 4050; Chingshuishan, Su 9507.

Distributed in the Ryukyus. Taiwan, broadleaved forests at low elevations.