陈氏独蒜兰 chen shi du suan lan

Pleione hookeriana (Lindley) Rollisson var. sinensis G. Kleinhans ex Torelli & Riccaboni; P. milanii Braem.

Herbs, terrestrial or lithophytic. Pseudobulbs usually clustered in large colonies, green or pale green, pyriform to conic, 2.5-4.5 × ca. 1.2 cm, tapering at apex into a conspicuous neck, 1-leaved. Leaf elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 6-20 × 2-3(-4.6) cm, apex acute. Inflorescence appearing with young leaf, erect; peduncle 5-7 cm, enclosed in tubular sheaths at base; floral bracts green, narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, ca. 25 × 10-15 mm. Flowers solitary or rarely 2, large, pale pink to rose-purple, often paler toward base, lip white with a longitudinal yellow or orange-yellow stripe at center and brown-red spotted toward apex; pedicel and ovary 16-20 mm. Dorsal sepal narrowly elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 24-35 × 7-10 mm, apex subacute; lateral sepals obliquely elliptic, slightly shorter and wider than dorsal sepal, apex subacute. Petals spreading, oblanceolate or spatulate, 24-33 × 5-9 mm, apex rounded or obtuse; lip broadly flabellate when flattened, 20-25 × 25-30 mm, obscurely 3-lobed above middle, lateral margins erect and embracing column, apical margin dentate or irregularly erose, apex emarginate; disk with 6 rows of long papillae extending from base of lip almost to apex of mid-lobe. Column 20-23 mm; column wings very narrow below middle, dilated above, apex irregularly denticulate. Fl. Apr-May.

● Forests; 1400-2800 m. N Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, W Yunnan.

This species is treated by some authorities as a variety of Pleione hookeriana. Indeed, it is very similar in its lip shape and flower color. However, P. chunii has distinct pseudobulbs and larger flowers with a callus on the lip composed of six rows of papillae. It has been confused with P. aurita, but that species has a distinct floral morphology and bright rose-purple flowers.