Calanthe brevicornu Lindl. 1833 SECTION Calanthe Photo by Pieter C. Brouwer ©P-Base Orchid Photo Website

Brown Colored Variety Photo by Philipp Cribb and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz © Website

Part shade WarmColdSpring

Common Name The Short Spurred Calanthe - In China Shen Chun Xia Ji Lan

Flower Size 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4 cm]

Found in the western Himalayas, northeastern India, Nepal, eastern Himalayas and Myanamar in dense forests at elevations of 1660 to 3100 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with small ovoid, pointed pseudobulbs carrying 3 to 4, ovate-ellipitc, acute to acuminate, gradually narrowing into the petiolate base leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, erect, puberulous, 14.4" to 24" [36 to 60 cm] long, laxly 8 to 15 flowered inflorescence with distant, adpressed, lanceolate, acute sheaths and pubescent at the base, lanceolate, acute to acuminate floral bracts,

CAUTION There seems to be at least 2 distinct types within this genus, I have included photos of each but I cannot be sure of the veracity of the brownish colored variety so use with caution

Synonyms Alismorchis brevicornu (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Calanthe brevicornu var. wattii Hook.f. 1890; Calanthe lamellosa Rolfe 1896; Calanthe scaposa Z.H.Tsi & K.Y.Lang 1985; Calanthe yunnanensis Rolfe 1903

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 drawing fide; The Orchids of North-Western Himalaya Vol IX Part II Duthie 1906; AOS Bulletin Vol 4 1958 Drawing; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Maountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Orchids of Huanglong Perner, Tang Si-Yuan 2007 photos fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide;

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