Elegant Closed-Mouth Orchid is a medium sized,
tree-dwelling orchid with a short to long, stout to slender, erect to
drooping, thick, fleshy, distichous, round, pointed leaves. The plant
blooms in the summer and early fall on a 25-30 cm long, pendant, raceme
to panicle, in leaf axil. The inflorescence is several flowered that
has successive opening flowers. Flowers open widely, pink, lip deep
purple-red; flower-stalk and ovary about 5 mm, slender. Dorsal sepal
ovate-elliptic, boat-shaped, about 2.2 x 1.5 mm, rounded; lateral
sepals obliquely ovate-elliptic, about 2.5 x 1.5 mm, base adnate to
column foot, blunt. Petals are oblong, about 2.2 x 1 mm, blunt; lip
lateral lobes erect, strap-shaped-oblong, blunt, incurved; mid-lobe
narrowly ovate-triangular, fleshy, above with a ridge raised and
triangular near spur entrance. Spur is spherical, about 2 mm in
diameter. Elegant Closed-Mouth Orchid is found in Bhutan to S.
China and SE Asia, at altitudes of 300-2200 m. Flowering: April-June.
Identification credit: Jambey Tsering
Photographed in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Elegant Closed-Mouth Orchid is ...