台湾无柱兰 tai wan wu zhu lan

Orchis alpestre (Fukuyama) S. S. Ying.

Plants 5-20 cm tall. Tubers ovoid to subglobose, 5-7 × 3-4 mm. Stem with 2 tubular sheaths at base, (1 or)2-leaved. Leaves cauline, erect to porrect, usually widely spaced, oblanceolate to linear, 3.5-7.5 × 0.5-1 cm, apex acute. Peduncle ebracteate; rachis less than 1 cm, 2-4-flowered; floral bracts green or purple, lanceolate, 5-7 mm, slightly shorter than ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers often secund, pale pink to white with darker pink spots on lip; ovary and pedicel 5-8 mm. Dorsal sepal erect, ovate-oblong, concave, 4-5 × 2-2.5 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals spreading, narrowly elliptic or ovate-oblong, slightly oblique, 5-6.5 × 2-3 mm, 3-veined, apex acute. Petals connivent with dorsal sepal and forming a hood, ovate-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 4-5 × 1.4-1.6 mm, 1-3-veined, apex obtuse; lip obovate, 5-6.5 × 4.5-5.5 mm, 3-lobed near middle; disk finely papillate; lateral lobes ovate-oblong, falcate, 2.8-3.5 × ca. 0.5 mm, apex acute or obtuse; mid-lobe obovate-quadrate, 4-4.5 × ca. 4.5 mm, apex truncate and shallowly notched to form 2 lobules, sinus with a small tooth; spur pendulous, slightly incurved, cylindric, 4-4.5 mm, shorter than ovary, slightly attenuate toward apex, apex obtuse; viscidia ovate. Fl. Jul.

● Alpine grasslands, rocky patches; 2500-3800 m. C and N Taiwan.