大雪兰 da xue lan

Cyperorchis mastersii (Griffith ex Lindley) Bentham.

Plants epiphytic or lithophytic, autotrophic. Pseudobulbs stemlike, usually 10-30 cm, sometimes to 1 m, growing indeterminately, completely enclosed in distichous leaf bases, rooting from basal part, occasionally producing a small plant at base. Leaves several to many, sometimes to 15-17 or more, lorate, 24-75 × 1.1-1.7(-2.5) cm, subleathery, articulate 3-6(-10) cm from base, apex unequally 2-lobed, with a mucro in sinus. Inflorescences 1 or 2, arising from leaf axils, suberect, 25-45 cm, 2-5- or more flowered; floral bracts triangular, 2-5 mm. Flowers almond-scented, usually not opening widely, 6-6.5 cm in diam.; pedicel and ovary 40-50 mm; sepals and petals white, tinged pink on outer surfaces; lip white with a central yellow patch at base of mid-lobe, lamellae yellow and occasionally with scattered purplish red spots. Sepals narrowly elliptic or broadly lanceolate-oblong, concave, 45-55(-60) × 10-15(-20) mm, apex acute. Petals broadly linear, 42-50 × 7-10 mm, apex acute; lip oblong-ovate, 40-45 mm, base fused to basal margins of column for 3-4 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect and loosely clasping column, ca. 8 mm wide; mid-lobe ovate, small, ca. 11 × 11 mm, margin undulate; disk puberulent and with a densely hairy patch at center of mid-lobe, with 2 longitudinal lamellae; lamellae convergent at their apices. Column ca. 35 mm; pollinia 2. Capsule fusiform-ellipsoid, ca. 40 × 25 mm. Fl. Oct-Dec, fr. Feb-Apr. 2n = 40.

Trees or rocks in forests; 1600-1800 m. S and W Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, N Vietnam].