Cirrhopetalum flabellovernis [Koenig] Seidenfadden & Ormerad 1995 SECTION Cirrhopetalum Lindley 1824

Flower Closeup Photos courtesy of Bob Fallon Copyright ©, and the Dr Leslie Garay Archives

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Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in India, Burma, Laos, Thailand, penninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia in semi-deciduous and evergreen forests on mossy rocks and tree bases at elevations of 300 to 1100 meters as a miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with 2" apart on a woody rhizome between each conical, unevenly 5 angled, shiney pale green pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, erect, oblong, shortly and obtusely bilobed apically, abruptly narrowing below into the shortly petiolate base leaf that blooms on 2 to 3, basal, 6" to 9" [15 to 22 cm cm] long, shiney purple inflorescence with 3 tubular, acute bracts and narrowly lanceolate, acute, concave, reddish brown floral bracts all holding the 11 to 13 flowers above the leaf and held in an umbel, that requires regular waterings and fertilizer, high humidity and good air circullation.

THis species is most often bought as B/C lepidum but recently the name Epidendrum falbellum vernis was discovered to be the basionym of this species and as such the name Cirrhopetalum flabellovernis [Koenig] Seidenfadden & Ormerad 1995 takes precedence

Bulbophyllum gamosepalum is often cited as a synonym of this species but if Garay is correct [see B gamosepalum] then these are both individual species.

Synonyms Bulbophyllum andersonii Kurz 1870; Bulbophyllum flabellum-veneris (J.König) Aver. 2003; Bulbophyllum griffithianum Parish & Rchb.f 1874; Bulbophyllum lepidum [Bl.]J. J. Sm. 1905; Bulbophyllum lepidum var. angustum Ridl. 1896; Bulbophyllum lepidum var. insigne J.J.Sm. 1920; Bulbophyllum rolfeanum Siedenfadden & Smitinand 1961; Cirrhopetalum andersonii [Kurz] Hkr. 1890; Cirrhopetalum ciliatum Klinge 1898; Cirrhopetalum gagnepanii Guillamin 1964; Cirrhopetalum lepidum (Blume) Schltr. 1911, Cirrhopetalum siamense Rolfe ex Downie 1925; Cirrhopetalum viscidum (J.J.Sm.) Garay, Hamer & Siegerist 1994 ; *Epidendrum falbellum vernis Koenig 1791; Ephippium lepidum Bl 1825; Phyllorchis andersonii (H. Kurz) Kuntze 1891;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905 as B lepidum; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 1990 as B lepidum; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994 as B lepidum; Bulbophyllum and Their Allies Seigerist 2001; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001 as B lepidum; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003 as B lepidum

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