J. RENZ

Plants usually robust, 20-100 cm tall, with oblong tuberoids, sometimes with stolons bearing a small tuberoids at their ends. Stem leafy below, densely covered with sheaths above. Leaves 2(-4), lanceolate to elliptic, rather fleshy, 15(-25) x 4-8 cm, acute, sheathed at base. Inflorescence densely flowered. Bracts oblong-lanceolate, longer than ovary, the upper diminishing in size, all strongly recurved. Flowers rather small, rose-pink, occasionally pure white, sweet-scented. Perianth segments recurved, subsimilar in length, up to 7 mm long; dorsal sepal linear-oblong; lateral sepals obliquely-oblong; petals linear. Labellum broadly oblong, erect, hooded, up to 9 mm long, 10 mm broad, with 2 slender spurs at base, tapering into a fine point, variable and sometimes unequal in length, 10-15 mm long. Column slightly curved, 6 mm long.

Fl. Per.: July-November.

Type: Nepal “In regione alpina Gosaingsthan Nepalensium.” Wallich.

Distribution: Abundant throughout Western Himalaya, eastwards to Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and China. Also S. India and Sri Lanka. In the eastern Himalaya ascending above 3000 m to 4000 m, in Pakistan to 2500 m.