羽唇叉柱兰 yu chun cha zhu lan

Cheirostylis inabae Hayata; C. oligantha Masamune & Fukuyama.

Plants 5-15 cm tall. Rhizome creeping, torose to moniliform, 0.2-0.5 cm in diam., sometimes branching; roots hairlike, in raised bands along rhizome internodes. Stem ascending, pale reddish brown, 4-5 cm, fleshy, 3-6-leaved. Leaves scattered along stem, abaxially pale green, adaxially green, ovate to elliptic, sometimes orbicular-cordate, 1-3.2 × 0.5-1.5 cm, glabrous, base obtuse-rounded or cordate, apex acute; petiole-like base and sheath 0.3-0.8 cm. Inflorescence less than 1 cm, (1 or)2- or 3-flowered; peduncle often enclosed by leaf bases and not visible beyond stem apex; floral bracts pale green, ovate, 3-4 mm, shorter than ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers white, tubular; ovary green, cylindric-fusiform, 8-10 mm including pedicel, glabrous. Sepals 8-10 mm, 1-veined, connate for ca. 2/3 of length and forming a tube ca. 4 mm in diam.; free apical lobes triangular, 2-3.5 mm, apex acute. Petals appressed to dorsal sepal, white, narrowly spatulate, oblique, 9-10 × 2.5-3 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lip 10-11 mm, 3-partite; hypochile shallowly saccate, containing 2 comblike calli, each 7- or 8-toothed; mesochile ca. 7 × 2 mm; epichile with 2 green spots at base, ca. 3 × 8 mm, 2-lobed; lobes 3-5.3 mm, 4- or 5-laciniate, each division 3-4 mm. Column ca. 3 mm; stelidia straight, linear, nearly as long as rostellum arms; anther ovoid; rostellum arms ca. 2 mm. Capsule ellipsoid, 1-1.4 cm, borne on elongated peduncle. Fl. Sep.

Damp places in forests, mountain ridges; 1000-2400 m. Taiwan [Philippines, S Vietnam].