Acianthus petiolatus D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 29. 1825; Liparis angkae Kerr; L. nepalensis Lindley; L. pulchella J. D. Hooker; L. taronensis S. C. Chen.

Herbs, terrestrial, with slender rhizomes. Pseudobulbs 2-4 cm apart on rhizome, ovoid, 1.5-3 × 1-1.5 cm, ± enclosed by white membranous sheaths. Leaves 2; petiole sheathlike, 5-11 cm, amplexicaul, not articulate; blade broadly ovate, 5-11 × 3.5-8 cm, membranous or herbaceous, base subtruncate or shallowly cordate, margin ± irregularly obtuse-crenate or nearly entire, apex subacuminate or shortly cuspidate. Inflorescence 10-24 cm, lower part ridged, upper part narrowly winged; rachis several to more than 10-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 5-6 mm. Flowers greenish white, lip tinged with purplish green; pedicel and ovary 6-8 mm. Sepals linear-lanceolate, ca. 8 × 1.8 mm, inconspicuously 3-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals somewhat oblique. Petals narrowly linear, 7-8 × ca. 0.4 mm, 1-veined; lip elliptic to orbicular, ca. 10 × 8-9 mm, with 2 calli near base, margin often slightly irregularly incised, apex mucronate. Column arcuate, ca. 4 mm, base thickened, apex slightly enlarged and narrowly winged. Capsule subobovoid-oblong, ca. 1.5 cm × 6-7 mm; fruiting pedicel 4-5 mm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 30, 36.

Forests, streamsides, humid places; 1000-2900 m. N Guangxi, Hunan, W Jiangxi, SE Xizang, S Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].