矮小独蒜兰 ai xiao du suan lan

Epidendrum humile Smith, Exot. Bot. 2: 75. 1806; Coelogyne humilis (Smith) Lindley; C. humilis var. albata H. G. Reichenbach; C. humilis var. tricolor H. G. Reichenbach; Pleione diantha Schlechter; P. humilis var. adnata Pfitzer; P. humilis var. pulchella E. W. Cooper; P. humilis var. purpurascens Pfitzer.

Herbs, epiphytic or lithophytic. Pseudobulb olive-green, flask-shaped with a long neck, 2-6 × 0.8-2 cm, apex with 1 leaf. Leaf oblanceolate to elliptic, 18-25 × 2.8-3.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence produced before leaf, 1- or 2-flowered; peduncle clothed in scarious sheaths; floral bract obovate, 20-32 × 8-12 mm, apex subacute to obtuse. Flowers spreading to nodding; sepals and petals white, lip white, spotted and streaked with crimson or yellow-brown with a central pale yellow zone; pedicel and ovary 2-3 cm. Dorsal sepal linear-oblanceolate, 34-47 × 6-7 mm, apex subacute; lateral sepals obliquely oblanceolate, 40-53 × 70-90 mm, apex subacute. Petals obliquely linear-oblanceolate, 31-42 × 5-7 mm, apex rounded; lip oblong-elliptic, obscurely 3-lobed in front, 34-44 × 25-31 mm, base saccate, margin lacerate in apical half, apex emarginate; lateral lobes erect-incurved, callus consisting of 5-7 barbate lamellae. Column 26-28 mm, broadly winged, apex irregularly dentate.

Epiphytic in moss, on Rhododendron and other tree species, plants often forming rings or collars around trunks or branches; 1800-3200 m. SE Xizang [Bhutan, NE India (Assam, Manipur, Sikkim), Myanmar, Nepal].

Pleione humilis is known from NE India, and almost certainly grows in adjacent parts of SE Xizang (indeed, it was noted from there by Press et al., Annot. Checkl. Fl. Pl. Nepal, 224. 2000). However, the present authors found no relevant specimens and therefore could not substantiate the occurrence of this species in China.