中华坛花兰 zhong hua tan hua lan

Calanthe gougahensis Guillaumin, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 26: 537. 1954; Acanthephippium odoratum Averyanov; A. thailandicum Seidenfaden.

Plants to 50 cm tall. Roots short. Pseudobulb ovoid-cylindric, 5-7 × ca. 1 cm, 4-noded, with several large membranous sheaths, 2-4-leaved. Leaves broadly obovate-elliptic, 22-24 × ca. 7 cm, 3-veined, apex acuminate or acute; petiole-like base 2-10 cm, sheathing. Inflorescence 10-15 cm, fleshy, with several scalelike sheaths at base; rachis densely 2-5-flowered; floral bracts oblong-lanceolate, 2.5-3 cm, apex acuminate. Flowers creamy white with faint red striations on outer surface, campanulate-tubular, ca. 30 mm; pedicel and ovary 13-15 mm. Sepals connate at base and connivent above, forming an urceolate tube with apices free; dorsal sepal broadly elliptic-oblong, 18-20 × 8-9 mm, 3-5-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals ovate, oblique, 18-20 × 12-13 mm, 5-veined, base adnate to column foot, apex subobtuse. Petals narrowly ovate-oblong, ca. 20 × 7 mm, fleshy, 5-veined, apex subacuminate; lip adnate to apex of column foot, creamy white, ca. 10 mm, fleshy, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, creamy white with brownish purple markings, hatchet-shaped, 5-8 mm, margins slightly incurved; mid-lobe yellow, rhombic-triangular, 5-8 × 4-7 mm, apex acute, recurved; disk papillose, fleshy between 2 lateral lobes, with 3 low, rounded ridges; mentum formed by bases of lateral sepals and column foot, saccate, apex obtuse-rounded. Column white, ca. 13 mm; column foot 18-20 mm, inflexed at its mid-point through an angle of 60°, adnate to base of lateral sepals for ca. 1/2 of its length, slightly recurved toward apex; anther ca. 4 mm; larger pollinia ca. 1.5 mm, smaller pollinia ca. 0.8 mm; rostellum truncate with an apiculate tip; stigma broadly obovoid. Fl. Apr-May.

Forests; ca. 300 m. Guangdong [Thailand, S Vietnam].

The name Acanthephippium sinense (a synonym of A. striatum) has been misapplied to material of this species by some authors.