珍珠矮 zhen zhu ai

Plants terrestrial, autotrophic, with a slightly fleshy subterranean rhizome, lacking pseudobulbs. Rhizome compressed, cylindric, 5-6 cm or longer, usually more than 1 cm in diam., many noded. Leaves 2 or 3, erect, lorate, 25-30 × 1-1.2 cm, midvein concave on both surfaces, base enclosed by several purplish sheaths, not articulate, margin denticulate, apex subacute. Inflorescence arising from base of plant, erect, 10-13 cm; rachis laxly 3- or 4-flowered; floral bracts linear or linear-lanceolate, 4-9 mm. Flowers fragrant, 2.5-3.2 cm in diam.; pedicel and ovary 16-20 mm; sepals and petals usually yellowish green with 5 purplish red longitudinal striations; lip yellowish green with purplish red striations on lateral lobes and purplish red markings on mid-lobe. Sepals oblong, 13-16 × 6-7 mm, apex obtuse-rounded and apiculate; lateral sepals spreading horizontally. Petals oblong, 11-14 × 6-7 mm, loosely clasping column, apex obtuse-rounded; lip oblong-ovate, 8-10 mm, not fused to basal margins of column, obscurely 3-lobed; lateral lobes suberect, small; mid-lobe ovate-elliptic, ca. 3 × 2 mm; disk with 2 longitudinal lamellae; lamellae convergent toward their apices. Column 6-7 mm; pollinia 4, in 2 pairs. Fl. Jun.

● Rocky places in forests. SW Guizhou, Hainan, SE and SW Yunnan.