Pleione chunii C.L.Tso 1933 SECTION Humiles
Comparison shot of P hookeriana and P chunii
Photos by © David Llewelyn and the Kool Plants.co.uk Website
Common Name Chun's Pleione [Chinese Orchid Collector 1900's] - In China Chen Shi Du Suan Lan
Flower Size 2 to 2.6" [5 to 6 cm]
Found in Yunnan province of China in forests at elevatoins of 1400 to 2800 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with clustered, green to pale green, pyriforl to conic, tapering apically into a conspicuous neck pseudobulb carrying a single, elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute leaf that blooms in the spring on an erect, arising with the new leaf, 2 to2.8" [5 to7 cm] long, 1 to rarely 2 flowered inflorescence enveloped by basal tubular sheaths and a green, narrowly elliptic-oblanceoalte floral bract
Some authors place this species as a synonym of P hookeriana but this one differs in the distinct pseuedobulb shape and larger flowers with a callus on the lip made up of 6 rows of papillae.
This species is within the P bulbocodioides complex which includes P bulbocodioides, P limprichtii, P pleinoides and P formosana.
Synonyms Pleione hookeriana var. sinensis G.Kleinh. ex Torelli & Riccab. 2000; Pleione hookeriana var. milanii (Braem) Torelli & Riccab. 2000; Pleione milanii Braem 1999
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 4 1998 photo not; The Genus Pleione Cribb & Butterfield 1988; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 2 1998 photo; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001 as P millanii; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo ok; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 1 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide;
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