台湾杓兰 tai wan shao lan

Cypripedium japonicum Thunberg var. formosanum (Hayata) S. S. Ying.

Plants 30-40 cm tall, with a relatively slender, creeping, often branched rhizome. Stem erect, glabrous or puberulent, with several sheaths in lower part and 2 subopposite leaves above. Leaf blade flabellate, 10-13 × 8-11 cm, both surfaces sparsely puberulent or adaxial surface glabrous, with many radiating veins reaching margin of apical half, base cuneate, margin undulate, minutely ciliate, apex mucronate. Inflorescence terminal, with 1 flower; peduncle nearly glabrous or sparsely pubescent; floral bracts foliaceous, ovate-lanceolate, 2.2-3 × 1-1.2 cm, sparsely puberulent, apex acute; pedicel and ovary 1.8-2 cm, densely pubescent. Flowers pendulous, white or pinkish; sepals and petals spotted with purplish red at base; lip ± with purplish red short stripes and spots. Dorsal sepal often curving forward over lip, narrowly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 4.5-5 × 1.6-2 cm, slightly pubescent toward base, apex acute or shortly acuminate; synsepal elliptic-ovate, 4.5-5 × 2.5-3 cm, slightly hairy toward base, apex shallowly 2-lobed. Petals oblong-lanceolate, 4.5-5 × 1.2-1.8 cm, adaxial base villous, apex acuminate or acute; lip pendulous, pouched, obovoid or ellipsoid, 4-6 × 3.5-4 cm, slightly grooved-margined around mouth, inner bottom hairy. Staminode ovate-triangular or ovate-sagittate, ca. 10 × 6-7 mm. Fl. Apr-May. 2n = 20*, 30*.

● Forests, thickets; 2400-3000 m. Taiwan.