Rchb.f.
Description
Bulbophyllum striatum is an epiphytic orchid confined to the eastern Himalayas and adjacent regions, with documented occurrences in northeast India (Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya), Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and southwest China (Yunnan). It inhabits warm, humid subtropical and tropical forests at low to moderate elevations of 200–1,500 m — among the lower-altitude Bulbophyllum species in the Himalayan flora.
The pseudobulbs are ovoid, 2–3 cm tall, set at intervals on a stout, creeping rhizome. Each bears a single, oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous leaf 10–18 cm long. The inflorescence is an arching to pendent, laxly few-flowered raceme, 8–15 cm long, producing 3–8 flowers. The specific epithet 'striatum' (striped) refers to the conspicuous reddish-brown longitudinal striations on the sepals: flowers are 1.5–2 cm across, yellowish-green with prominent dark reddish-brown veining. The lip is dark purple, fleshy, curved, and mobile on the column foot. Flowering occurs from September to November.
The relatively low-altitude habitat of B. striatum at Yankel (400 m) in southern Bhutan reflects the warm, subtropical character of the Mo-Chu and lower Punatsangchu valleys, which harbour a distinct orchid flora adapted to high humidity and temperatures atypical for most of Bhutan.
Author: Rchb.f. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)