Ceratostylis himalaica

Common Name The Himalayan Ceratostylis - In China Cha Zhi Niu Jiao Lan

Flower Size .33" [.9 cm]

Found in Assam, the eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Laos, Myanamar, Malaysia, Vietnam and Yunnan China in sparse woods on trees or rocks at elevations of 225 to 1900 meters as a miniature to small sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte with a pendant, branched stem enveloped by imbricate, scarious sheaths and giving rise to a single, fleshy, linear-oblong, obliquely notched apically, acute, shortly petiolate leaf that blooms in the late spring on a subcapitate, 1 to 3 flowered inflorescence.

Synonyms Ceratostylis ritaia Schltr. 1922; Eria ramosissima Wall. ex Hkr. 1890; Ritaia himalaica (Hook.f.) King & Pantl. 1898

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Plantarum Vol 22 Hooker 1892 drawing fide; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 drawing fide; Die Orchideen #6 21-24 tafel 7 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 photo ok; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Lindleyana Vol 15 No 4 2000; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002; The Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 drawing ok; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Maountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide;

Plants epiphytic or lithophytic. Stems clustered, pendulous, (1.5-)2-7 cm, dichotomously branched, completely enclosed in scalelike sheaths; sheaths reddish brown or pale reddish brown, ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 mm, membranous, apex long acuminate. Leaf blade linear or narrowly oblong, 3.5-6.5 × 0.3-0.7 cm, fleshy, obliquely notched, acute; petiole 4-6 cm. Inflorescence arising from leaf base, subcapitate, 1- or 2-flowered; peduncle and pedicel ca. 4 mm, ± pubescent; peduncle with 2 sheaths; floral bracts ovate, 4-5 × 1.5-2 mm, sheathing, acute to acuminate. Flowers small, white spotted with purplish red, column yellow. Dorsal sepal oblong-ovate, 5-6 × 2-3.5 mm, abaxially pubescent; lateral sepals broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm, abaxially pubescent. Petals linear, 3.5-4.5 × ca. 1 mm, glabrous; lip suboblong, cymbiform, 2-3 mm, thickened, base deeply saccate, margin entire, apex with a cushionlike callus abaxially; disk slightly hairy. Column very short, apical arms horn-shaped, foot short. Capsule ellipsoid, 6-7 × 3-4 mm. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jun.

Epiphytic on trees or lithophytic on rocks in forests; 900-1700 m. SE Xizang, S Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam].

CITIES category : Appendix II

References 

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