Coelogyne flaccida - Loose Coelogyne

Loose Coelogyne is an orchid with close set, conical, lightly grooved pseudobulbs carrying 2 apical, lanceshaped leaves which are tapering, plicate, 3 nerved, gradually narrowing below into the elongate, grooved, stalked. It produces basal, slender, drooping 25 cm long, somewhat fractiflex axis, loosely few to many (5-12) flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb. Floral bracts fall off, and flowers are waxy, highly perfumed (not so good smell), cream coloured, simultaneously opening. Each flower reaches about 4-5 cm across. Flowers pale yellow to white, with yellow and pale reddish brown spots on lip. Dorsal sepal oblong or oblong-lanceshaped, 21-24 × 6-7 mm; lateral sepals slightly narrower, below carinate. Petals linear-lanceshaped, 20-22 × 2-3 mm; lip subovate, 16-20 × about 15 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, subovate, tip blunt; mid-lobe suboblong, 6-7 × about 4 mm, margin ± crisped; callus with 3 crisped-incised lamellae extending from base of lip to basal half of mid-lobe. Column slightly arcuate, about 13 mm, both sides with wings; wings widened toward column tip, about 1.5 mm wide on one side in upper part. Loose Coelogyne is found in Eastern Himalayas, from Nepal to Sikkim, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, at altitudes of 1600-1700 m. Flowering: March-April.