Species Identification Task Force Submissions

May 31, 2010

Cymbidium wenshanense

We have a thousand other views sent in of every other aspect of the this plant if we need them. I chose not to post all of them.

Cymbidium wenshanense Y.S.Wu & F.Y.Liu, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 12: 291 (1990).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Cymbidium quinquelobum Z.J.Liu & S.C.Chen, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 28: 13 (2006).

Pacific South, Greg Truex, award 20103146

From Flora of China
20. Cymbidium wenshanense Y. S. Wu & F. Y. Liu, Acta Bot.
Yunnan. 12: 291. 1990.
文山红柱兰 wen shan hong zhu lan
Plants epiphytic, autotrophic. Pseudobulbs ovoid, slightly
bilaterally flattened, 3–6 × 1.5–3 cm, enclosed in leaf bases.
Leaves distichous, 4–9, lorate, 45–98 × 1.3–2.1 cm, articulate
8–15 cm from base, apex subacuminate. Inflorescence arching
or subpendulous, 28–39 cm; peduncle 5–13 cm, with 5 or 6
sheaths; rachis 3–12-flowered; floral bracts deep purple to yellowish,
triangular or linear-lanceolate, 7–16 mm. Flowers fragrant,
usually not opening very widely; pedicel and ovary 45–
60 mm; sepals and petals white, usually slightly tinged pale
purplish red on outer surfaces, petals occasionally with a few
purple-red spots at base; lip white or yellowish with dark purple
or purplish brown striations and spots, turning reddish brown,
lamellae yellow; column purple-red at apex, white tinged pink
toward base. Sepals similar, narrowly obovate-elliptic or
broadly oblanceolate, slightly concave, 58–80 × 18–30 mm,
apex obtuse to acute; lateral sepals pendulous or downcurved,
oblique, outer surfaces carinate. Petals incurved and clasping
column, subobovate, oblique, 57–65 × 21–33 mm, apex acute;
lip broadly obovate, 56–65 × 58–78 mm, base fused to basal
margins of column for 2–3 mm, 3-lobed or obscurely 5-lobed
above middle, margin white ciliate, lateral lobes erect and embracing
column; lateral lobes in plants with a 3-lobed lip obovate,
to 20 mm wide; lateral lobes in plants with a 5-lobed lip
composed of a small, ovate to linear basal pair of lobes to ca. 5
mm wide, and a larger, subsquare upper pair to 20 mm wide;
mid-lobe deflexed, obovate to nearly oblate, 18–25 × 22–30
mm, apex rounded-obtuse and slightly erose to emarginate,
ciliate; disk pubescent, with 2 longitudinal lamellae extending
from base of lip to base of mid-lobe; lamellae conspicuously inflated
and converging at apex. Column arcuate, 40–48 mm,
narrowly winged, sparsely pubescent on ventral surface; pollinia
2, nearly pear-shaped. Fl. Feb–Mar.
Trees in forests; ca. 1500 m. SE Yunnan (Maguan) [Vietnam].
1a. Inflorescence arching, 3–7-flowered;
sepals 58–64 × 18–21 mm; lip
3-lobed; column ca. 40 mm ............ 20a. var. wenshanense
1b. Inflorescence arching or subpendulous,
7–12-flowered; sepals 65–80 × 23–26
mm; lip obscurely 5-lobed; column
42–48 mm ..................................... 20b. var. quinquelobum
20a. Cymbidium wenshanense var. wenshanense
文山红柱兰(原变种) wen shan hong zhu lan (yuan bian
zhong)
Inflorescence arching, 3–7-flowered. Sepals 58–64 × 18–
21 mm. Lip 3-lobed. Column ca. 40 mm.
Trees in forests; ca. 1500 m. SE Yunnan (Maguan) [Vietnam].
20b. Cymbidium wenshanense var. quinquelobum (Z. J. Liu
& S. C. Chen) Z. J. Liu, S. C. Chen & P. J. Cribb, comb. et stat.
nov.
五裂红柱兰 wu lie hong zhu lan
Basionym: Cymbidium quinquelobum Z. J. Liu & S. C.
Chen, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 28: 13. 2006.
Inflorescence arching or subpendulous, 7–12-flowered.
Sepals 65–80 × 23–26 mm. Lip obscurely 5-lobed. Column 42–
48 mm.
● Trees in broad-leaved forests; ca. 1500 m. SE Yunnan (Maguan).
This variety grows in the same region as the typical variety. Its 5-
lobed lip is probably an abnormality rather than a typical feature.

Cymbidium wenshanense, award 20103146, has been confirmed to be Cymbidium wenshanense by SITF(June 2010).