Orchideaceae

Orchideaceae

Gastrochilus calceolaris

Orchideaceae

Hemipilia puberula

Orchideaceae

Bulbophyllum muscicola

Orchideaceae

Platanthera leptocaulon

Orchideaceae

Orchideaceae

Calanthe biloba

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Bhutan2012 689
Bhutan Galephu 850m, September

Description

Calanthe biloba is a terrestrial orchid native to the eastern Himalayas and adjacent regions, occurring in northeast India (Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya), Bhutan, Nepal, southwest China (Yunnan), and northern Vietnam. It grows in the understory of warm, humid broadleaved forests and along shaded stream banks at 500–1,500 m elevation, in well-drained, humus-rich soils.

The plant produces prominent, conical pseudobulbs partially enclosed by the persistent leaf bases. The leaves are large, 30–50 cm long, broadly elliptic to obovate, plicate (folded lengthwise), and deciduous in the dry season. The inflorescence is an erect, pubescent raceme 30–60 cm tall, bearing 10–20 flowers. Flowers are 2.5–3.5 cm across, white to pale yellow. The lip is conspicuously bilobed (as the specific epithet indicates), with two diverging apical lobes, and bears a yellow callus of raised lamellae. The spur is slender, 1.5–2 cm long. Flowering occurs from August to October.

Calanthe biloba belongs to the deciduous group of Calanthe (subgenus Preptanthe), which shed their leaves before or during flowering. The relatively low elevation of the collecting locality at Galephu (850 m) reflects southern Bhutan's subtropical climate, where several thermophilic orchid species reach their northern distributional limit.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe brevicornu

by G & P Jürgens

Lindl.

Nepal 2009 56 ergebnis scaled
Nepal 2009 57 ergebnis scaled
Nepal Helambu Doroli 3550, May

Description

Calanthe brevicornu is a terrestrial orchid distributed across the Himalayas and East Asia, from Nepal and northeast India through Bhutan and Myanmar to China and Japan. GBIF records over 320 occurrences, with the majority from China. The species inhabits montane and subalpine forests, growing in deep leaf litter and humus-rich soil in the understory of Rhododendron, Quercus, and mixed broadleaved-coniferous forests at 1,300–3,600 m elevation.

This is an evergreen Calanthe of compact habit. The pseudobulbs are reduced, largely concealed by leaf sheaths. Leaves are 2–4, elliptic-lanceolate, 15–30 cm long, plicate, persisting through the winter. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 15–35 cm tall, bearing 5–15 flowers that open sequentially. The specific epithet 'brevicornu' (short horn) refers to the characteristically short, stout spur, only 3–6 mm long — distinguishing it from many congeners with elongate spurs. Flowers are 2–3 cm across, white to pale pink, the lip trilobed with a yellowish callus. Flowering occurs from April to June.

The record from Helambu at 3,550 m represents the upper elevational limit for this species. At such altitudes, flowering coincides with the pre-monsoon spring, when Calanthe brevicornu blooms alongside Rhododendron species in the subalpine zone of central Nepal.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Flora of China Vol. 25, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe chloroleuca

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Nepal 97 299 P600
Nepal new Clepua 2370m May
Nepal 97 301 G602
Nepal new Clepua 2370m May
Nepal 2001 147 ergebnis ergebnis
East-Nepal Bhalukhop 2520m, April

Description

Calanthe chloroleuca is a terrestrial orchid of restricted distribution in the eastern Himalayas, known from Nepal, northeast India (Sikkim), Bhutan, and southwest China (Yunnan). With fewer than 20 documented occurrences in GBIF, it is one of the rarer Calanthe species in the region. The species grows in moist, shaded forest understory, on humus-rich soils among leaf litter, at elevations of 2,000–3,000 m.

The plant is an evergreen species with reduced pseudobulbs hidden by leaf bases. It produces 3–5 elliptic, plicate leaves 15–25 cm long. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 20–40 cm tall, carrying 8–15 flowers. The name 'chloroleuca' derives from Greek chloros (green) and leukos (white), accurately describing the flower coloration: sepals and petals are greenish-white, and the lip is white with a greenish or yellowish tinge, trilobed, with low, parallel keels on the disc. The spur is slender, 1–1.5 cm long, slightly curved. Flowering occurs from April to May.

Calanthe chloroleuca is easily confused with the similarly coloured C. brevicornu, from which it differs in its longer spur, narrower lip lobes, and more elongated floral bracts. Its rarity in herbarium collections may partly reflect the difficulty of distinguishing it from congeners in the field.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3

Orchideaceae

Calanthe griffithii

by GP Jürgens

Paxton & Lindl.

Bh2008 443 G693
Bhutan Gogona, 3400m April
Bh2008 513 P788
Bhutan Gogona, 3400m April

Description

Calanthe griffithii is a terrestrial orchid of the eastern Himalayas, named in honour of William Griffith, whose botanical collections from Bhutan and Assam in the 1830s–40s remain foundational for Himalayan botany. The species is distributed from Pakistan through Nepal, northeast India, and Bhutan to southwest China. It inhabits cool, moist montane forests and Rhododendron scrub at 1,600–3,500 m elevation, typically growing in deep humus under dense canopy shade.

This is an evergreen Calanthe with short, inconspicuous pseudobulbs. The leaves are 3–5, broadly elliptic, 15–30 cm long, plicate, and persist through winter. The inflorescence is an erect, pubescent raceme 15–30 cm tall, emerging before or with the new leaves. The flowers are 2–3 cm across, typically pale yellow to greenish-yellow, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. The lip is trilobed, the mid-lobe bifid, with raised yellow lamellae on the disc. The spur is slender, 1–1.5 cm long. Flowering in Bhutan occurs from March to May.

The collection locality at Gogona (3,400 m) in Bhutan represents the high-altitude forests of the inner valleys where C. griffithii flowers early in the spring before canopy closure. The species' relatively wide altitudinal range (1,600–3,500 m) reflects its adaptability to various forest types from warm temperate to subalpine.

Author: Paxton & Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe mannii

by GP Jürgens

Hook.f.

Bhutan2014 804
Bhutan Mo-Chu 1600m, May
Bh2008 463 G724
Bhutan, Samtengang 1950m, May

Description

Calanthe mannii is a terrestrial orchid distributed across the eastern Himalayas and East Asia, from Nepal and northeast India through Bhutan, Myanmar, southern China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi), to Japan (Ryukyu Islands). GBIF records nearly 100 occurrences across this range. The species grows in warm to temperate broadleaved forests, often along streams and in ravines with rich humus soil, at elevations of 1,000–2,500 m.

The plant is an evergreen Calanthe producing narrow, conical pseudobulbs partially enclosed by leaf sheaths. Leaves are 3–5, elliptic-lanceolate, 20–40 cm long, plicate, with prominent veins. The inflorescence is an erect, densely many-flowered raceme 30–50 cm tall, bearing 15–30 flowers. Flowers are 2–2.5 cm across, with a distinctive colour combination: the sepals and petals are yellowish-brown to olive-green, while the lip is pale, trilobed, with the mid-lobe deeply bilobed and a prominent yellow callus. The spur is curved, 8–12 mm long. Flowering occurs from April to June.

Calanthe mannii is named after Gustav Mann (1836–1916), the German-born botanical collector who worked in northeast India. The species is distinguished from the similar C. puberula by its more densely flowered raceme and different lip morphology. Its presence in both subtropical (Mo-Chu valley, 1,600 m) and temperate zones in Bhutan indicates broad ecological tolerance.

Author: Hook.f. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Flora of China Vol. 25, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe plantaginea

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Bh2008 531 P809 1
Bhutan Chongsakha, 1900m April
Bh2008 517 G792
Bh2008 516 P791
Bhutan Chongsakha, 1900m April
Nepal 97 107 G182
Nepal 97 106 P181
Nepal Dongen 2400m April

Description

Calanthe plantaginea is one of the most widespread and conspicuous terrestrial orchids of the Himalayan montane forest zone. Its range extends from Pakistan through the entire Himalayan arc (Nepal, India, Bhutan) into Myanmar and southern China. GBIF documents over 110 occurrences. The species grows in the understory of broadleaved and mixed forests, in moist leaf litter and humus, at elevations of 1,000–3,000 m.

The plant produces reduced pseudobulbs hidden by persistent leaf sheaths. Leaves are 3–5, large, broadly elliptic, 15–40 cm long, prominently plicate, resembling plantain leaves — hence the epithet 'plantaginea'. The inflorescence is a stout, erect raceme 20–40 cm tall, bearing 10–20 showy flowers. Flowers are 3–4 cm across, the largest among Himalayan Calanthe, and range from pale pink to deep rose-pink, occasionally white. The lip is trilobed, the mid-lobe deeply bifid, with a prominent callus of 3–5 raised, yellow lamellae. The spur is slender, 1.5–2 cm long. Flowering occurs from March to May, typically before full canopy closure.

Calanthe plantaginea is arguably the most recognisable spring-flowering orchid in the Himalayan mid-altitude forests. Its large, brightly coloured flowers and broad leaves make it conspicuous even to non-specialists. It is often the first orchid to flower in the understory after winter.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe sylvatica

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Bhutan2012 448
Bhutan Wangdi 2500m, September

Description

Calanthe sylvatica is a terrestrial orchid with one of the widest distributions in the genus, spanning from tropical and subtropical Africa (East Africa, Madagascar, Réunion, Comoros) to South and Southeast Asia (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Vietnam). This pantropical range is reflected in GBIF's over 2,700 documented occurrences. In the Himalayas, it grows in the understory of humid broadleaved forests at 500–2,800 m elevation.

The plant is an evergreen species with inconspicuous pseudobulbs concealed by leaf sheaths. Leaves are 3–5, elliptic-lanceolate, 20–40 cm long, plicate, dark green. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 30–60 cm tall, bearing 10–30 flowers. Flowers are 2.5–3.5 cm across, typically deep violet to lilac-purple, though colour varies across the vast range from white to pink to deep purple. The lip is trilobed with a violet mid-lobe and a yellow callus with raised lamellae. The spur is slender, 1.5–2.5 cm long. In the Himalayas, flowering occurs from August to October.

The remarkable biogeographical range of Calanthe sylvatica — bridging Africa and Asia — has made it a subject of interest in orchid phylogeography. The Himalayan populations belong to the Asian lineage, and some taxonomists treat them as a distinct variety or subspecies. The species is adaptable and locally common in suitable habitats.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Cribb & Hermans: Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar (2009)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe tricarinata

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Bh09 214 G369
Bhutan Dochu-La, 3000m June
Bh09 215 G361
Bhutan Dochu-La, 3000m June
Nepal 99 190 ergebnis
West-Nepal Lara-Lake 3000m, June
Garh 07 91 ergebnis
India Garhwal Trijugi Narayan 2500m, June

Description

Calanthe tricarinata is a distinctive terrestrial orchid widely distributed from the western Himalayas (Pakistan, northwest India) through Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar to China, Taiwan, and Japan. With over 1,000 documented GBIF occurrences, it is one of the better-known Himalayan Calanthe species. It inhabits cool, moist montane forests and subalpine Rhododendron scrub at 1,500–3,500 m elevation.

The plant is an evergreen species with short, stout pseudobulbs. Leaves are 3–5, broadly elliptic, 20–35 cm long, plicate, and persist through winter. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 25–40 cm tall, bearing 8–15 flowers. The flowers are unmistakable: 3–4 cm across, with olive-green to yellowish-green sepals and petals, contrasting strikingly with the large, pendent, reddish-brown to maroon lip. The lip is deeply trilobed, the mid-lobe bifid, with three prominent parallel keels (carinae) on the disc — the diagnostic feature reflected in the name 'tricarinata'. The spur is short, 5–8 mm. Flowering occurs from May to July.

Calanthe tricarinata is readily identified by its unique green-and-brown colour combination, unlike any other Himalayan orchid. The species was photographed at the Dochu-La pass (3,000 m) in Bhutan, also recorded from the Lara Lake area of western Nepal and Garhwal (India) — documenting its broad Himalayan distribution.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Cephalanthera damasonium

by GP Jürgens

Druce

Bh09 399 G632
Bhutan Punaka, 1400m June
Nepal 99 29 ergebnis
West-Nepal Chere 2850m June

Description

Cephalanthera damasonium, the white helleborine, is a terrestrial orchid with a vast distribution spanning Europe, western Asia, and the Himalayas. While primarily a European species — GBIF records over 116,000 occurrences, predominantly from France, Germany, Switzerland, and Britain — it extends eastward through Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus into the western and central Himalayas, reaching Bhutan and western Nepal. In the Himalayas, it grows in broadleaved and pine forests on calcareous or base-rich soils at 1,200–3,000 m elevation.

The plant is a rhizomatous, mycoheterotrophic perennial, partially dependent on soil fungi (Cephalanthera species form associations with ectomycorrhizal fungi, particularly Thelephoraceae). Stems are erect, 15–50 cm tall, bearing 3–6 ovate to lanceolate, plicate leaves that decrease in size upward. The inflorescence is a terminal raceme of 3–12 flowers. Flowers are 15–20 mm long, creamy white to ivory, and remain partially closed (a feature related to their autogamous pollination strategy). The lip is short, with a yellowish-orange blotch on the inner surface bearing several raised ridges. Flowering in the Himalayas occurs from May to July.

The Himalayan populations of C. damasonium represent the eastern limit of this predominantly Eurasian species. Their occurrence in Bhutan is biogeographically noteworthy, extending the species' known range far beyond its European centre of diversity.

Author: Druce · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, Delforge: Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (2006)

Orchideaceae

Cephalanthera longifolia

by GP Jürgens

(L.) Fritsch

Bhutan2014 398
Bhutan Jakar 2400m, May
Bh2008 556 P840
Bhutan Paro 1950m April

Description

Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch is a terrestrial orchid with one of the widest ranges in its genus, extending from western Europe and North Africa across temperate Asia to the Himalaya. GBIF records it from France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Britain, Greece, China and many other countries, with over 141000 occurrences reflecting its abundance in the western part of its range. It grows in dappled shade in deciduous and coniferous woodland, scrub and grassy banks, often on calcareous soils, from near sea level to about 2500 m. In the eastern Himalaya it reaches the montane forests of Bhutan, recorded at Jakar around 2400 m in May and at Paro near 1950 m in April.

The plant arises from a short rhizome with fleshy roots and produces an erect, leafy stem. The leaves are numerous, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, sheathing at the base, longer than the internodes and noticeably keeled. The lax terminal raceme bears several pure white flowers that scarcely open, remaining narrowly campanulate; the sepals and petals are lanceolate and acute, and the labellum is shorter, divided into a basal hypochile with a small spur-like sac and an apical epichile marked with orange-yellow ridges that guide pollinators. The ovary is twisted and glabrous, ripening into an erect capsule.

Cephalanthera belongs to subtribe Limodorinae of tribe Neottieae and, like its relatives, is partially mycoheterotrophic, drawing carbon from ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with forest trees. Cephalanthera longifolia is globally secure given its enormous range, but it is locally scarce and legally protected in parts of northern Europe where suitable woodland is fragmented. Its trans-Palaearctic distribution makes it a notable example of a widespread orchid reaching its eastern limit in the Himalayan forests.

Author: (L.) Fritsch · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora Europaea, Flora of Bhutan, Flora of China, Delforge monograph of Orchids of Europe