Stelis odoratissima Smith in Rees, Cycl. 34: Stelis no. 12. 1814; Bulbophyllum congestum Rolfe; B. hyacinthiodorum W. W. Smith; B. trichocephalum (Schlechter) Tang & F. T. Wang; B. trichocephalum var. wallongense Agrawala, Sabapathy & H. J. Chowdhery; Cirrhopetalum trichocephalum Schlechter.

Rhizome creeping or straggling, 2-4 mm in diam., branched, covered with membranous tubular sheaths, rooting from base of pseudobulbs, roots spreading. Pseudobulbs 4-8 cm apart from each other, subcylindric, 2.5-5 cm, 3-6(-9) mm in diam., with a terminal leaf. Leaf subsessile; blade oblong, 4-13.5 × 0.8-2.6 cm, leathery, apex obtuse and slightly emarginate. Scapes 1 or 2, yellowish green, from base of pseudobulb, erect, to 14 cm; raceme often nodding, shortened, umbel-like, densely more than 10-flowered; peduncle 1-3 mm in diam., with 3 or 4 tubular sheaths 8-10 mm; floral bracts whitish, ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 mm, membranous, apex acuminate. Pedicel and ovary shorter than floral bracts. Flowers slightly fragrant; sepals and petals white, later turning into orange in apical half; lip tangerine. Sepals free, thickly textured; dorsal sepal ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 3-7 × ca. 1.5 mm; lateral sepals lanceolate, 4-14 × ca. 2 mm, margins incurved from middle to apex and tubular or subulate in shape, apex obtuse or subacute. Petals subovate or elliptic, 1-2 × 1-1.5 mm, thinly textured, apex subobtuse; lip slightly recurved, ligulate, fleshy, margins with white glandular hairs, adaxially with 2 densely minutely glandular-hairy ridges, base with a short claw attached to end of column foot, apex obtuse. Column ca. 1 mm, stout; stelidia ca. 0.2 mm; foot ca. 1 mm, with free part ca. 0.5 mm; anther cap nearly subglobose or cordate, finely papillate. Fl. Apr-Aug. 2n = 38.

Tree trunks in mixed forests, rocks along valleys; 200-2400 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, S Sichuan, SE Xizang, W to SE Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].