Callostylis rigida - Rigid Eria

Rigid Eria is a large sized, tree-dwelling or rock-dwelling orchid, with 20-50 cm between each thicker in the middle, narrowing to both ends pseudobulbs, carrying 4-6, lanceshaped, minutely and unequally bilobed apically leaves. The plant blooms in the late winter through later spring on a lateral, apical, few flowered, erect to arching, velvet-hairy, 3-8 cm long, raceme with broadly ovate-elliptic, sheaths and broadly elliptic, velvet-hairy floral bracts. Flowers are greenish yellow, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter; sepals with grayish brown hairs below and sparsely white velvet-hairy above; lip brown; column foot with a dark purple callus. Dorsal sepal is elliptic, 8-10 x 4-5 mm, blunt; lateral sepals slightly shorter and broader. Petals are narrowly elliptic-obovate, 7-8 x 3.5-4 mm; lip broadly heart-shaped or broadly ovate, 3.5-4 x 2-3 mm, with a short sharp point, with a cushionlike callus in basal half. Column is curved forward at right angle. Rigid Eria is found in Central Himalaya to China (S. Yunnan) and W. Malesia, at altitudes of 600-1700 m. Flowering: May-June.