白旗兜兰 bai qi dou lan

Cypripedium spicerianum H. G. Reichenbach, Gard. Chron., n.s., 13: 41, 363. 1880; Cordula spiceriana (H. G. Reichenbach) Rolfe.

Plants terrestrial or lithophytic. Leaves 4-6, distichous; blade abaxially pale green and spotted with purple toward base, adaxially uniformly dark green, narrowly oblong-elliptic, usually 14-27 × 1.8-2.5(-6) cm, leathery, slightly undulate along basal margin, acute and slightly bilobulate at apex. Scape suberect, terminating in 1 or rarely 2 flowers; peduncle purple, 9-22 cm, sparsely pubescent above; floral bract greenish yellow, with a maroon midvein abaxially, elliptic, 1.7-2.9 cm; pedicel and ovary purplish to brownish, 2.5-4.3 cm, glabrous. Flower 5-7.5 cm in diam.; dorsal sepal white with a maroon midvein and greenish base; synsepal yellowish green or whitish green; petals yellowish green with a brown-purple midvein and many paler speckles along lateral veins; lip pale green-brown or pale yellow-brown with dark brown veins; staminode white with a large purple circle centrally. Dorsal sepal curving forward, broadly ovate-orbicular or suborbicular, 2.8-4.9 × 3.2-4.1 cm, both surfaces puberulent, basal margin recurved, minutely ciliate, obtuse to rounded at apex; synsepal ovate, 2.5-4 × 1.4-3 cm, puberulent on both surfaces or glabrescent adaxially, obtuse at apex. Petals linear-spatulate or narrowly oblong, 2.6-5.2 × 0.6-1.8 cm, adaxially white villous at base, margin undulate, apex rounded or obtuse; lip helmet-shaped, 3.2-3.9 cm; pouch 3-3.8 × 1.8-2.8 cm. Staminode obovate or obovate-suborbicular, 9-10 × 6-7 mm, convolute on basal margin and appearing like a pair of eyes, obtuse-acute at apex. Fl. Sep-Nov.

Rocky places, cliffs or crevices of limestone rocks in forests or on bushy slopes; 900-1400 m. Yunnan (Gaoligong Shan, Simao) [N Myanmar].