Bulbophyllum helenae J.J. Sm. 1912 SECTION Cirrhopetalum Photo by © Richard Ashby and hisOrchid Photo Website.

Different Flower Angle Photo courtesy of David Jubineau and His Bulbophyllum Pages Copyright ©

UNPLEASANTFragrancePart shade Cool to Warm Summer

Common Name Helen's Bulbophyllum - In China Jiao E Juan Ban Lan

Flower Size 1 3/5" [4 cm]

Found in the western Himalayas, Nepal, Sikkim, Myanamar and Thailand in montane forests as a small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte at elevations of 800 to 2700 meters with 1.2 to 2.4" [3 to 6 cm] between each long-ovoid pseduobulb carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, oblong, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a basal, 2 to 3” [5 to 7.5 cm] long inflorescence with imbricate, tubular sheaths and narrowly lanceolate, acute floral bracts and carrying 5 to 9 stinky flowers. This cute orchid requires shade, very humid conditions and regular water and fertilizer year round.

This species and B forrestii are very similar but differ mostly in the erose Dorsal sepal found in this species and the entire margin dorsal sepal of B forrestii

Synonyms Bulbophyllum cornutum (Lindl.) Rchb. f. 1864; Cirrhopetalum cornutum Lindl. 1838; Phyllorchis cornuta (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Phyllorchis helenae Kuntze 1891; Rhytionanthos cornutum [Lindl.] Garay, Hamer, $ Siegerist 1994

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 as Cirrhopetalum cornutum drawing ok; Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 4 1980 as Cirrhopetalum cornutum photo/drawing fide; Orchids of Kumaun Himalayas Pangtey, Samant and Rawat 1991; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997 as Bulbophyllum helenae; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide as Bulbophyllum helenae; Orchids Of India II Biodiversity & Status of Bulbophyllum Thou Augustine & Kumar 2001 as Rhytionanthos cornutum; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 as Rhytionanthe cornutum photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide;

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