Cymbidium elegans Lindl. 1828 SECTION Cyperorchis Hunt 1970
Photos by © Eric Hunt
SLIGHT 
TO EARLY 
Common Name The Elegant Cymbidium - In China Suo Cao Lan
Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]
Found in the Chinese Himalayas, Assam India, eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Myanmar on trees and rocks overhanging streams in shady locations at elevations of 1500 to 2800 meters as a large sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte or lithophyte with ovoid, bilaterally compressed pseudobulbs and carrying narrowly linear-elliptic, acute, hooded and unequally bilobed apically leaves articulated 1.6 to 4.8" [4 to 12 cm] from the pseudobulb that blooms on an arching to pendant, slender, to 2' [60 cm] long, racemose, densely many flowered [20 to 35] inflorescence with slightly scented, close set flowers that do not open well, arising from the lower leaf axils occuring in the fall to early winter.
This species seems to be by precedence C longifolium D. Don as it was described previously but the name was rejected under article 69 of the ICBN.
Synonyms Cymbidium densiflorum Griff. 1851; Cymbidium elegans var. lushuiense (Z.J.Liu, S.C.Chen & X.C.Shi) Z.J.Liu & S.C.Chen 2006; Cymbidium elegans var. lutescens Hook.f. 1891; Cymbidium elegans var. obcordatum Rchb.f. 1880; Cymbidium longifolium D.Don 1825; Cymbidium lushuiense Z.J.Liu, S.C.Chen & X.C.Shi 2005; Cyperorchis elegans [Lindley] Blume 1849; Limodorum angustifolium Buch.-Ham. ex Lindl. 1833;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95 as Cyperorchis elegans; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 as C longifolium drawing not = C gammieanum; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 drawing fide; The Orchids of North-Western Himalaya Vol IX Part II Duthie 1906 as C longifolium; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as Cyperorchis elegans drawing good; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 11 1962 as Cyperorchis elegans photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Cyperorchis elegans; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #11 1969 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 9 1970 as Cyperorchis elgans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 7 1978; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 4 1978 as Cyperorchis elegans photo fide; Indian Orchids Guide to Identification and Culture Vol 2 Pradhan 1979 as C longifolium photo fide; Indian Orchids Guide to Identification and Culture Vol 2 Pradhan 1979 drawing fide; Orchids of Kumaun Himalayas Pangtey, Samant and Rawat 1991 as C longifolium; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 25 1520 - 1584 Brieger 1991 drawing fide/photo fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Launert 1992 drawing fide; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002 as C longifolium; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 4 2003 photo fide; The Genus Cymbidium Du Puy & Cribb 2007 photo/drawing fide; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 as C longifolium; ; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Maountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009 as C elegans var lushuiense; Flora of China Illustrations Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; Flora of China Illustrations Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 as C elegans var lushuiensedrawing fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide; Orchid Digest Vol 76 #3 2012 photo fide; LANKESTERIANA 15(1): 7—50. Jeewan Singh Jalal & J. Jayanthi 2015 excluded taxa; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 11 2017 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Supplement Cymbidiums Vol 87 #10 2018 photo fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 2 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide;
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