Cleisostoma racemiferum (Lindl.) Garay

Cleisostoma racemiferum (Lindl.) Garay 1972

Cleisostoma racemiferum (Lindl.) Garay; Photo by Dinh Quang Diep

Cleisostoma racemiferum (Lindl.) Garay 1972, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 173: Seidenf., 1992, Opera Bot. 114 : 388: P. H. Ho, 1993, 111. FI. Vietnam 3, 2: 1084, f. 10185: Aver., 1994, Ident. Guide Vietnam. Orch.: 378; Aver. & Averyanova, 2003, Updated Checkl. Orch. Vietnam: 22.

Synonyms.

Saccolabium racemiferum Lindl. 1S33, Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pi.: 224.

Sarcanthus pallidus Lindl., 1840, in Edwards's Bot. Reg. 26 (Misc.): 78; Guillaumin, 1933, in Lecomte, Fl. Gen. Indo- Chine 6: 472.

Sarcanthus manlinensis Guillaumin, 1956, Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. 2, 28: 239.

Studied collections. 

22 May 2002, Averyanov. P.K.Loc. CPNP 2J.

Description. 

Large epiphyte with stout woody erect stem 0.7—1.2 cm wide. Leaves numerous, sessile, jointed at the base, strap-shaped, coriaceous, 15—30 by 1.8—3 cm, unequally 2-lobed at apex, with rounded lobules. Inflorescence axillary, paniculate, laxly, many-flowered, 15—25 cm long, commonly branching. Floral bracts elliptic-lanceolate, acute, 1.5—4 by 0.5—1 mm. Flowers widely opening, 6—8 mm across. Pedicel and ovary 0.3—1 cm long. Sepals and petals purple-brown with yellow margin and central stripe, sub-similar, oblong-elliptic, obtuse to rounded, 3—5 by 1—2.5 mm- Lip white to yellowish, spurred, 3-lobed, 4—5 mm long. Side-lobes obliquely triangular, acuminate. Mid-lobe sagittate, with 3 acute lobules, median lobule more or less straight. Back-wall callus rounded, 2-lobed at the base, glabrous or hardly papillose. Spur broadly cvlindric, 3—4 by 1.5—1.8 mm. Column stout, 2 mm tall. Anther cap beaked, 0.5 mm across. Stipe lanceolate, not much broadening to the apex, viscidium very small, sub-globose. Plate 4 (24).

Flowering time. 

May-June.

Geographic range. 

Bhutan, Nepal, India, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

Notes. 

Not a common species and the sole collection from Cue Phuong National Park needs confirmation.

References:

Leonid V. Averyanov, Nguyen Tien Hiep, Phan Ke Loc, The orchids Of Cuc Phuong National Park Illustrated guide, ISBN: 9781626751514