Cymbidium elegans Lindl. 1828 SECTION Cyperorchis Hunt 1970

Flower Closeup Photos by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

SLIGHT To TO EARLY

Common Name The Elegant Cymbidium

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]

Found as a large sized, cold to warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte on trees and rocks overhanging streams in shady locations at elevations of 1500 to 2800 meters from the Chinese Himalayas, Assam India, eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Myanamar with ovoid, bilaterally compressed pseudobulbs and carrying narrowly linear-elliptic, acute, hooded and unequally bilobed apically leaves articulated 1.6 to 4.8" [4 to 12 cm] from the pseudobulb that blooms on an arching to pendant, slender, to 2' [60 cm] long, racemose, densely many flowered [20 to 35] inflorescence with slightly scented, close set flowers that do not open well, arising from the lower leaf axils occuring in the fall to early winter.

This species seems to be by precedence C longifolium D. Don as it was described previously but the name was rejected under article 69 of the ICBN.

Synonyms Cymbidium densiflorum Griff. 1851 ; Cymbidium longifolium D.Don 1825; Cyperorchis elegans [Lindley] Blume 1849; Limodorum angustifolium Buch.-Ham. ex Lindl. 1833;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95 as Cyperorchis elegans; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 11 1962 photo as Cyperorchis elegans; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 9 1970 photo as Cyperorchis elgans; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 7 1978; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 4 1978 as Cyperorchis elegans ; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002 as C longifolium; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 4 2003 photo; The Genus Cymbidium Du Puy & Cribb 2007; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Maountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide;

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