长茎兔耳兰 chang jing tu er lan

Type: China. Yunnan: Baoshan Shi, Xishan Qu, Ban Tou Po, in thicket, alt. 1700 m, 11 May 2005, Z. J. Liu 3043 (holotype, NOCC).

Species nova Cymbidio caulescenti similis, a quo inflorescentia multo breviore uniflora, labello maculis duabus purpuratis et lobis lateralibus purpureis praedito differt.

Plants terrestrial, autotrophic. Pseudobulbs usually borne in fascicles of 2 or 3, erect, greenish, stemlike, cylindric, 18-23 × 0.5-0.7 cm, fleshy, 6-8-noded, with a sheath at each node; sheaths persistent, amplexicaul, lanceolate, 1.8-6.5 cm, membranous. Leaves 2-4, subterminal, elliptic-oblong or obovate-oblong, 6-9 × 1.2-2.4 cm, base contracted into a petiole-like stalk, apical margin serrulate, apex shortly acuminate; petiole-like stalk 1-2.5 cm, articulate. Inflorescence lateral, arising from a node toward apex of pseudobulb, erect, 9-11 cm; peduncle with 3-5 sheaths; sheaths greenish white, lanceolate, 1-1.6 cm, membranous, amplexicaul at base; rachis usually 1-flowered; floral bract lanceolate, 9-11 mm. Pedicel and ovary 20-24 mm; sepals pale green-yellow, midvein purple toward base; petals white, midvein purple and with purple spots; lip whitish, with purple lateral lobes and 2 or 3 purple patches on mid-lobe; column white with purple markings. Sepals narrowly oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, 23-26 × 2-5 mm, apex acuminate and recurved. Petals ovate-oblong, 21-23 × 6-7 mm, apex acuminate; lip subovate, 17-20 mm, not fused to basal margins of column, 3-lobed; lateral lobes suberect, subovate, loosely embracing column; mid-lobe recurved, subovate, 9-11 × 6-8 mm; disk with 2 longitudinal lamellae extending from base of lip to base of mid-lobe; lamellae convergent toward their apices and forming a short tube. Column 10-12 mm; pollinia 4, in 2 pairs. Fl. Aug-Sep.

● Well-drained shrubby slopes; ca. 1700 m. SW Yunnan (Baoshan).

This taxon is characterized by its cylindric, rather long, stemlike pseudobulb and by its subterminal leaves. It has a 1-flowered inflorescence, but this could be atypical. The lip has purple lateral lobes and two or three purple patches on the mid-lobe. It is quite unlike Cymbidium caulescens Ridley (the type of which is at K), which has a several-flowered inflorescence and has a non-elongated pseudobulb, the base of which is covered in acute sheaths. Some plants of C. lancifolium have elongated pseudobulbs (as illustrated under its synonyms by Mark et al., Orchid Digest 13: 36. 1986), suggesting that the utility of this character to distinguish the two species could be misleading. Green sepals and petals are found in C. lancifolium var. aspidistrifolium, but that entity has a shorter pseudobulb and leaves without serrated margins.