台湾虾脊兰 tai wan xia ji lan

Calanthe sasakii Hayata.

Plants 30-50 cm tall. Rhizome thick. Pseudobulbs subovoid, 1-1.5 cm, with 3 or 4 sheaths. Leaves 2 or 3, well developed and spreading at anthesis, not deciduous; blade elliptic-oblanceolate, 30-50 × 4-7 cm, papery, base cuneate, apex acute; petiole-like base 5-10 cm, usually forming a pseudostem more than 10 cm. Scape arising from leaf axil, 40-50 cm, puberulent; rachis 5-10 cm, laxly 5-10-flowered; floral bracts persistent, lanceolate, 10-18 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate. Flowers white, sometimes tinged pinkish purple; pedicel and ovary 20-40 mm, glabrous; ovary with 6 longitudinal winglike ridges. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 20-25 × 9-11 mm, base slightly contracted, apex acuminate; lateral sepals ovate-lanceolate, oblique, 25-27 × ca. 10 mm, base contracted, apex acute. Petals narrowly lanceolate, 18-20 × ca. 4 mm, apex acute; lip adnate to entire length of column wings, broadly ovate or orbicular in outline, 13-20 × 18-25 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes subfalcate-ovate, 7-11 × 9-12 mm, apex rounded-obtuse; mid-lobe orbicular, ca. 9 × 11 mm, margin erose, apex aristate; disk with 3 shallow and inconspicuous ridges extending midway along mid-lobe; spur curved, cylindric, 10-15 mm, inside densely puberulent. Column 7-9 mm, ventrally puberulent; rostellum 2-lobed; anther cap beaked; pollinia clavate, with caudicles; viscidium subelliptic. Capsule 30-50 × ca. 15 mm, with 6 winglike ridges. Fl. Dec-Mar. 2n = 40*.

● Forests; 1000-2000 m. Taiwan.