FoI
Herbaceous Eulophia
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Herbaceous Eulophia
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Herbaceous Eulophia • Marathi: कुकुडकंद kukudkand
Botanical name: Eulophia herbacea    Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Eulophia albiflora, Eulophia vera, Eulophia brachypetala

Herbaceous Eulophia is a terrestrial orchid 25-50 cm tall. Pseudobulb is borne above ground, irregularly ovoid, about 2 × 1 cm, few noded, with a few slender roots. Leaves are 2 or 3, present at anthesis, lanceshaped, 15-29 x 2-5.5 cm, tapering at base into a long stalk, tip long-pointed. Stalk 6-25 cm, partially enclosed in several basal sheaths and forming a pseudostem up to about 15 cm. Inflorescence arises from an intermediate node of pseudobulb, raceme-like, 22-50 cm, slender, with 2 or 3 scattered sheaths 3-8 cm, rachis 8-15 cm, laxly 6-10-flowered. Floral bracts are linear-lanceolate, 2-3.3 cm, usually slightly exceeding ovary, tip long-pointed. Flowers are medium-sized to large, 3-5.2 cm in diameter. Sepals are pale green to greenish yellow, petals and lip white flushed yellowish green at base; pedicel and ovary 2.0-2.8 cm. Petals are obovate-oblong, 1.7-2.0 cm x 6-7 mm, tip blunt, lip ovate-oblong, 1.7-2 cm x 0.7-1 cm, spurred at base, 3-lobed. Lateral lobes are incurved and loosely embracing column, subovate, narrow; mid-lobe strongly deflexed, broadly oblong, 7-8 × 5-7 mm, apex truncate-rounded; disk with several parallel rows of tall fimbriae extending to midway along mid-lobe; spur green, saccate-cylindric, 1.5-3 mm, tip rounded. Column about 1 cm, without a column foot. Flowering: June.

Identification credit: Dinesh Valke
Photographed at Yeoor Hills, Maharashtra.
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