Herminium humidicola - Swamp Herminium

Swamp Herminium is a terrestrial orchid 3-4 cm tall. Tuber is somewhat calabash-shaped, 1.2-1.5 cm x 6-8 mm. Stem is 1-2 mm thick. Leaves are 2 or 3, nearly clustered, ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceshaped, slightly concave, 1.5-3.3 × 1-3 cm, base contracted into a leaf-stalk, tip pointed; leaf-stalks enclosed by 2 tubular sheaths forming a pseudostem 8-12 mm. Inflorescence is short, scarcely exceeding leaves, broadly corymb-like, 1-8-flowered. Flowers are green-yellow; sepals white margined at tip; petals and lip becoming deep purple after pollination; flower-stalks 3-5 mm; ovary 4-6 mm. Dorsal sepal is nearly round, 3-4.5 mm, margin finely toothed toward tip; lateral sepals ovate-elliptic, slightly longer than dorsal sepal. Petals are round, 2-2.5 mm, fleshy, tip rounded-blunt; lip 3-3.5 cm, fleshy, spurred, 3-lobed toward its base; lateral lobes triangular, small; mid-lobe strap-shaped-linear, 2-2.7 mm; spur 1-2 x 0.5-1 mm, rounded-blunt at end. Swamp Herminium is found growing soil-covered rocks in swampy meadows, at altitudes of 3600-4500 m, in NE India and China. Flowering: July-August.