紫花美冠兰 zi hua mei guan lan

Wolfia spectabilis Dennstedt, Schlüssel Hortus Malab. 38. 1818; Cyrtopera nuda (Lindley) H. G. Reichenbach; Cyrtopodium bicolor Ridley; Eulophia bicolor Dalzell; E. burkei Rolfe ex Downie; E. holochila Collett & Hemsley; E. macgregorii Ames; E. nuda Lindley; Phaius steppicola Handel-Mazzetti; Semiphajus chevalieri Gagnepain.

Plants autotrophic, 30-65 cm tall. Pseudobulb subterranean, subglobose, 3-4 cm in diam., with several stout roots. Leaves 2 or 3, present at anthesis, oblong-lanceolate, 20-40 × 2.5-6 cm, contracted at base into a petiole-like stalk, apex acuminate; petiole-like stalk enclosed in several basal sheaths and forming a pseudostem 14-34 cm. Inflorescence racemose, 30-65 cm, stout, with several tubular sheaths below middle; rachis 5-20 cm, laxly 5-9(-15)-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 15-20 mm, shorter than ovary, membranous, apex acuminate. Flowers medium-sized, 20-35 mm in diam., purplish red, lip tinged yellow at center; pedicel and ovary 15-25 mm. Dorsal sepal linear or narrowly oblong, 18-25 × 3-6 cm, apex obtuse or acute; lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal but slightly larger, to 10 mm wide, oblique, adnate at base to column foot. Petals suboblong, 15-17 × 5-9 mm, apex obtuse; lip ovate-oblong, 12-16 × 8-12 mm, spurred at base, obscurely 3-lobed or almost entire, margin ± crisped, apex subtruncate or emarginate; disk with slightly thickened veins or somewhat raised ridges; spur pointing down between divergent halves of broad column foot, broadly conic, 6-9 mm, apex acute. Column 6-8 mm, with a distinct, curved column foot 6-10 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun. 2n = 54.

Mixed forests, grassy slopes; 200-1600 m. S Jiangxi, SE and SW Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; SW Pacific islands].

The full synonymy for this widespread species can be found in S. Thomas, Lindleyana 13: 170-202. 1998.