Epidendrum retusum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 953. 1753; Aerides retusa (Linnaeus) Swartz; Gastrochilus retusus (Linnaeus) Kuntze; Limodorum retusum (Linnaeus) Swartz; Saccolabium retusum (Linnaeus) Voigt.

Stems ascending, usually 3-10 cm, 1-2 cm in diam., enclosed in leaf sheaths. Leaves broadly lorate, 20-40 × 2-4 cm, unequally bilobed. Inflorescences 1-3, pendulous, 30-40 cm, densely many flowered; rachis 20-30 cm, thick; floral bracts reflexed, broadly ovate, 3-4 mm. Flowers unscented, 1.7-2.3 cm in diam., sepals and petals white and spotted with pink or pale purple, lip purplish pink, apex white, spur white; pedicel and ovary 7-10 mm. Dorsal sepal elliptic, 7-11 × 4.2-5 mm, obtuse; lateral sepals obliquely oblong, 7-11 × 4.5-5.5 mm, base adnate to column foot, apex obtuse. Petals narrowly oblong, 7-7.5 × 2.5-3 mm, obtuse; lip often conduplicate, oblong-spatulate, 8-10 × 5-6 mm, rounded, apiculate, or slightly retuse, spurred; spur laterally compressed, 6-8 mm, rounded. Column ca. 4 mm, foot ca. 2 mm; stipe ca. 2.2 mm, linear, dilated and capitate; viscidium oblanceolate, ca. 1.8 × 0.6 mm. Capsule obovoid or subclavate, ca. 2.5 × 1.3 cm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 38.

Epiphytic on tree trunks in open forests or at forest margins; 300-1500 m. SW Guizhou, S Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].