Calanthe moluccensis J.J.Sm. 1926 SUBGENUS Calanthe SECTION Calanthe SERIES Sylvatica

Drawing by J J Smith and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Molucca Calanthe

Flower Size 1.44" [3.6 cm]

Found in the Moluccas in forests along valleys in damp areas at elevations around 500 to 750 meters as a small sized, warm growing terrestrial with clustered, small pseudobulbs carrying 3, erect, elliptic, acuminate, acute, 5 main nerved sunken above, prominent beneath, undulate margins, villose, gradually narrowing below into the 2.8" [7 cm] long, channeled petiolate base leaves that blooms in the winter on an axillary, erect, peduncle longly pubescent, 2 to 4 loose sheathed, to 11.6" [29 cm] long, rachis shortly pubescent, 6" [15 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate-ovate, acute, 5 nerved, pubescent on the back floral bracts carrying violet colored flowers.

Very similar to C celebensis but differs in the shorted pubescent leaves, the wider lip side lobes, the less deeply lobed mid-lobe of the lip with rounded lobes rather than quadrangular and the shorter spur.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Calanthe Cribb & Clayton 2013;

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