- Scientific Name: Calanthe argenteostriata C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng
- Ref: Orchid Rev. 89(1051):144. 1981
- English Common Name: silvery striped Christmas orchids
- Chinese Common Name: 银带虾脊兰 yíndài xiājǐ∙lán
- Japanese Common Name: ギンズミエビネ [銀墨海老根] ginzumiebine
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Calanthe
- Distribution: Forests; 500-1200 m. N Guangdong, SW Guangxi, SW Guizhou, SE Yunnan [Vietnam].
- Photo: 06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden, Guangdong
Plants to ca. 65 cm tall, without conspicuous rhizome. Pseudobulbs subconic, small, ca. 1.5 cm in diam., with 2 or 3 sheaths. Leaves 3-7, well developed at anthesis, not deciduous; blade deep green, with 5 or 6 silver-gray bands adaxially, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 18-27 × 5-11 cm, glabrous or abaxially slightly puberulent, apex acute; petiole-like base 3-4 cm. Scape arising from leaf axil, to 60 cm, densely puberulent, with 3 or 4 tubular sheaths; rachis 7-11 cm, subdensely more than 10-flowered; floral bracts persistent, broadly ovate, ca. 15 mm, abaxially puberulent. Flowers yellowish green; pedicel and ovary 25-30 mm, puberulent. Sepals and petals ± yellowish green; dorsal sepal reflexed, elliptic, ca. 10 × 4.5 mm, abaxially puberulent, 5-veined, apex obtuse and shortly aristate; lateral sepals reflexed, broadly ovate-elliptic, ca. 10 × 5.5 mm, abaxially puberulent, 5-veined, apex obtuse and shortly aristate. Petals ± reflexed, subspatulate or obovate, slightly smaller than sepals, glabrous, 3-veined, apex subtruncate and mucronate; lip adnate to entire length of column wings at base, white, ca. 16 × 16 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes flabellate, ca. 7 × 7 mm, apex rounded; mid-lobe divided by a deep sinus into 2 lobules, apiculate in sinus; lobules obovate, ca. as large as lateral lobes, margin slightly erose, apex truncate; disk with 3 rows of small, golden yellow, wartlike calli at base; spur yellowish green, cylindric, 15-19 mm, outside sparsely puberulent, attenuate toward apex. Column white, ca. 5 mm; rostellum horn-shaped, 2-lobed; anther cap white, beaked; pollinia narrowly obovoid or narrowly clavate, subequal in size, ca. 2 mm, with short caudicles; viscidium subsquare. Capsule ca. 30 mm. Fl. Apr-May. 2n = 45*. (Flora of China)
