Cleisostoma paniculatum - Panicled Closed-Mouth Orchid

Panicled Closed-Mouth Orchid is a small sized, hot to cool growing orchid growing on tree or rocks, with a stiff, upright woody stem carrying several, leathery, disitichous, dorsi-ventrally flattened, strap-like, linear, deeply grooved leaves, 10-25 x 0.8-2 cm, which are folded along the center, noticibly downward curved, bilobed at tips. These orchids are called closed-mouth because of the inflated lip covered with callus tissue. Inflorescence arise in leaf-axils, much longer than leaves, many branched, many flowered; floral bracts ovate, about 2 mm. Flowers open widely; sepals and petals yellowish green below, purplish brown above, margins and midvein yellow, lip yellow; flower-stalk and ovary about 1 cm. Dorsal sepal suboblong, concave, about 4.5 × 2 mm, blunt; lateral sepals obliquely oblong, about 4.5 × 2.5 mm, base adnate to column foot. Petals slightly smaller than sepals; lip with lateral lobes erect, deltoid, relatively small, tip blunt. Panicled Closed-Mouth Orchid is found in NE India, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, at altitudes of 200-1300 m. Flowering: May-June.