深圳香荚兰 shen zhen xiang jia lan

Stem scandent, 1-1.5 cm, with internodes 5-10 cm. Leaf blade elliptic, 10-20 × 5.5-9.5 cm, base shortly petiolate. Inflorescence 3-5 cm, usually 4-flowered; floral bracts oblong, 1.8-2.1 cm, leathery. Flowers not fully opening, yellowish green, with purple-red lip and white appendage. Sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate to elliptic, 4.4-4.8 × 1.6-2.8 cm; lip broadly obovate when spreading, 4.4-4.6 cm, basally connate for ca. 3/4 length to both sides of column forming a trumpet-shaped tube, apical margin undulate, adaxially tufted with a retrorse white fimbriate appendage composed of many thin pieces, with 3-5 rows of small horn-shaped appendages above middle, and with 2 lamellae extending from base up to fimbriate appendage. Column 3.8-4.2 cm. Fl. Feb-Mar.

● Forests or cliffs along valleys; below 300 m. S Guangdong.

One of us (Cribb) suggests that Vanilla shenzhenica needs to be further compared with V. somae, which is very close morphologically.