疏花火烧兰 shu hua huo shao lan

Arthrochilium veratrifolium (Boissier & Hohenacker) Szlachetko; A. wallichii (Schlechter) Szlachetko; Epipactis handelii Schlechter; E. somaliensis Rolfe; E. wallichii Schlechter; Helleborine veratrifolia (Boissier & Hohenacker) Bornmüller.

Plants 30-40 cm tall. Rhizome usually elongate. Stem glabrous, with 2-4 sheaths toward base. Leaves 3-5, ovate-lanceolate, 6-11 × 2-3 cm, papery, glabrous, base amplexicaul, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Rachis 5-15 cm, yellowish brown puberulent, laxly (3 or)4-6-flowered; floral bracts foliaceous, spreading, ovate-lanceolate, lower ones exceeding flowers, upper ones nearly as long as flowers. Flowers secund, resupinate; sepals chestnut-brown, petals green with broad chestnut-brown margins, lip white with chestnut-brown markings on hypochile and an orange-brown band across epichile; pedicel and ovary grayish white tomentose, ca. 10 mm. Sepals grayish white tomentose on outer surfaces, 5-veined, midvein conspicuous; dorsal sepal elliptic, ca. 10 × 5 mm, apex acute; lateral sepals ovate-lanceolate, oblique, ca. 11 × 7 mm, apex acute. Petals ovate-elliptic, ca. 9 × 6 mm, apex acute; lip ca. 9 mm, without a mesochile; hypochile cymbiform, 5-6 × 3-4 mm, with erect lateral lobes, margins incurved; epichile broadly ovate, 8-12 × 6-9 mm, fleshy, apex subacute or obtuse. Column ca. 8 mm including anther, with 2 short falcate lateral wings; anther cylindric, ca. 4 mm. Fl. May. 2n = 20, 40, 60.

Forests, forest margins; 2700-3400 m. W Sichuan, Xizang, C and W Yunnan [Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan; Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia), SW Asia, Caucasus].

This species was misidentified as Epipactis consimilis D. Don in FRPS (17: 91. 1999).