Spathoglottis pubescens - Buttercup Ground Orchid

Buttercup Ground Orchid is a medium sized terrestrial orchid with flattened pseudobulbs carrying up to 3, pleated linear leaves. The plant blooms on a basal, velvet-hairy, up to 50 cm long, few to 2 to 8 flowered inflorescence occuring in the summer through winter. Flowers are yellow, base of lip spotted with violet; flower-stalk and ovary 2-2.5 cm, densely velvet-hairy. Sepals are ovate-elliptic, 12-19 x 5-8 mm, tip pointed. Petals are broadly oblong, 1.2-1.7 x 0.8-1 cm, tip blunt; lip 1.2-1.7 cm, sac-like at base, sometimes with 2 small blunt ears at base of claw, 3-lobed; disk with 3 keels; lateral lobes oblong, deeply incised, tip rounded or flat; mid-lobe obovate-wedge-shaped, about 1.3 cm, base with a distinct claw, tip almost flat and notched. Disk is with a low, central ridge running from middle of claw to midway along mid-lobe; keels arising from base of lip, outer 2 terminating at base of claw, central one divided at tip in 2 large, fleshy, rounded-flat extensions and terminating at base of mid-lobe. Column is 0.8-1 cm. Buttercup Ground Orchid is found in NE India, S China to SE Asia, at altitudes of 300-1700 m. Flowering: July-November.