矮石斛 ai shi hu

Stems erect or ascending, fusiform or shortly clavate, short and stout, 2-5 cm, 3-18 mm in diam., with many longitudinal ridges, unbranched, with 2-5 nodes, internodes 5-10 mm. Leaves 2-4, subterminal, ligulate, ovate-lanceolate, or oblong, 1.5-4 × 1-1.3(or more) cm, leathery, both surfaces and leaf sheaths densely shortly black hairy at least when young, base decurrent forming clasping sheaths, apex obtuse and unequally bilobed. Inflorescences usually solitary, subterminal on latest or older mature leads, 1-3-flowered; peduncle 2-3 mm; rachis 5-7 mm; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 mm, membranous. Pedicel and ovary ca. 2.5 cm. Flowers spreading, white, mid-lobe of lip golden yellow, inner surface of lateral lobes red. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, ca. 25 × 10 mm, 7-veined, apex acute; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-lanceolate, ca. 25 × 10 mm, 7- or 8-veined, apex acute; mentum broadly conic, ca. 10 mm. Petals oblanceolate, ca. as long as and wider than dorsal sepal, 5-veined, rounded; lip subpandurate, ca. 30 mm, apex 3-lobed; lateral lobes nearly subovate; mid-lobe subreniform, shallowly bilobed, bent downward; disk irregularly papillate, with 5 irregularly papillate ridges. Column ca. 5 mm; anther cap conic, densely papillate.

Epiphytic on tree trunks in open forests; 1200-2100 m. S Yunnan [NE India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].