西藏无柱兰 xi zang wu zhu lan

Orchis tibetica (Schlechter) Soó.

Plants 6-8 cm tall. Tubers ellipsoid to globose, ca. 5 mm in diam. Stem purple, with 1 or 2 tubular sheaths at base, 1-leaved. Leaf subbasal, erect, purple, ligulate, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, 2.5-3 × 0.5-0.6 cm, apex subacute or subobtuse. Peduncle ebracteate; rachis 1-flowered; floral bract oblong-lanceolate, 8-14 mm, exceeding ovary, apex subacute. Flower suberect, pinkish purple to mauve, rather large; ovary and pedicel 7-10 mm. Dorsal sepal erect, narrowly ovate-oblong, slightly concave, ca. 7 × 2-3 mm, 3-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals spreading to reflexed, sometimes twisted, narrowly ovate-oblong, slightly oblique, ca. 7 × 3.5 mm, 3-veined, apex obtuse. Petals loosely connivent with dorsal sepal and forming a hood, narrowly ovate, slightly oblique, ca. 6 × 3 mm, 2-veined; lip obovate to obcordate, 8-9 × ca. 6 mm, base broadly cuneate, 3-lobed below middle; lateral lobes ovate-triangular, oblique, 1.5-3.5 × 1-3 mm, margin irregularly serrate, apex acute or obtuse; mid-lobe obcordate, 4.5-6 × 4-5 mm, margin irregularly serrate, apex slightly emarginate; spur pendulous, cylindric, slightly incurved, 8-9 mm, ca. as long as to slightly exceeding ovary, slightly attenuate, apex obtuse; viscidia ovoid; stigma lobes oblong. Fl. Aug.

● Alpine meadows; 3600-4400 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.