蜈蚣兰 Pelatantheria scolopendrifolia

  • Scientific Name: Pelatantheria scolopendrifolia (Makino) Aver.
  • Ref: Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad). 73:432. 1988
  • Synonyms: Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium (Makino) Garay; Sarcanthus scolopendrifolius Makino
  • Chinese Common Name: 蜈蚣兰 wúgōng∙lán
  • Japanese Common Name: ムカデラン [百足蘭] mukaderan
  • Family: Orchidaceae
  • Genus: Pelatantheria
  • Distribution: On rocks or tree trunks in forests or shaded places; 100-1000 m. Anhui, W Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, NE Sichuan, E Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].
  • Photo: 07/19/2007, Hangzhou
Plants creeping. Stems slender, ca. 1.5 mm in diam., many noded, branched. Leaves distichous, rather close; blade ± conduplicate, subcylindric, 5-8 × ca. 1.5 mm, leathery, apex obtuse; basal sheaths ca. 5 mm. Inflorescence a raceme, lateral, often shorter than leaves; raceme 1- or 2-flowered; peduncle 2-4 mm, slender; floral bracts ovate, ca. 0.5 mm. Flowers opening widely, thinly textured; sepals and petals pale flesh-colored; lip white spotted with yellow; pedicel and ovary ca. 3 mm. Dorsal sepal ovate-oblong, ca. 3 × 1.5 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-oblong, ca. 3 × 2 mm. Petals suboblong, smaller than dorsal sepal; lip spurred at base, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, subtriangular, obtuse; mid-lobe ligulate-triangular or sagittate-triangular, ca. 3 mm, ± fleshy, apex long acute, base with 1 ridge running into spur; spur subglobose, ca. 0.8 mm in diam., apex emarginate; callus on its back wall 3-lobed; lateral lobules horn-shaped; mid-lobule U-shaped, basal half densely minutely papillate-hairy; septum inside spur inconspicuous. Column ca. 1.5 mm, base with a short foot; anther cap truncate and emarginate at apex; stipe broadly ovate, base folded; viscidium saddle-shaped. Fl. Apr. (Flora of China)

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