Tribrachia reptans Lindley, Coll. Bot. ad t. 41. 1826; Phyllorkis reptans (Lindley) Kuntze.

Rhizome creeping, 2-3.5 mm in diam., branched, covered with tubular sheaths 7-10 mm. Pseudobulbs 5-9 cm apart on rhizome, ovoid or ovoid-conic, 1-2 cm, 5-10 mm in diam., with a terminal leaf. Petiole 1-2 cm; leaf blade narrowly oblong, 7-8(-15) × 0.7-1(-1.4) cm, leathery, base contracted into petiole, apex obtuse and slightly emarginate. Scape from base of pseudobulb, erect, 12-14 cm, slender; raceme 4-6 cm, usually 3-6-flowered; peduncle with 3 or 4 tubular sheaths; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 3-6 mm. Pedicel and ovary 3-5 mm. Flowers pale yellow with purplish red stripes. Sepals lanceolate, 7-10 × 2-2.2 mm, thickly textured, abaxially carinate, apex subacute; lateral sepals slightly longer than dorsal sepal, lower edges of basal half connate to each other, base adnate to column foot. Petals ovate-elliptic or obovate, 3-4 × 1.5-2 mm, thinly textured, entire, obtuse-rounded; lip recurved, slightly longer than petals, somewhat fleshy, entire, obtuse. Column ca. 0.8 mm; foot ca. 2 mm, with free part ca. 1 mm; stelidia filiform or subulate, ca. 0.8 mm. Fl. Jan-Oct. 2n = 38 + 0-2B, 42.

Tree trunks or rocks in evergreen broad-leaved forests; 1000-2800 m. Guangxi, SW Guizhou, Hainan, S and SE Xizang, W to SE Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam].