Cymbidium lowianum (Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. 1879 SECTION Cyperorchis Hunt 1970
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Common Name Low's Cymbidium [English Nursuryman 1800's] - In China Bi Yu Lan
Flower Size 3 to 4" [7.5 to 10 cm]
Found in Myanmar, Thailand, southwest China and Vietnam in shaded, highland montane cloud forests at elevations of 1200 to 2400 meters as a large sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with compressed pseudobulbs enveloped basally by distichous, leaf bases carrying to 9, narrowly linear-lanceolate, acuminate leaves articulate 2.4 to 4" [6 to 10 cm] from the pseudobulb which blooms in the late winter and spring on a stout, suberect to horizontal, 3'4" foot [100 cm] long, with several to many [12 to 40] flowered inflorescence enveloped by sheaths and triangular floral bracts with long-lasting, fragrant or not, flowers situated at the apex.
Synonyms *Cymbidium giganteum var. lowianum Rchb. f. 1877; Cymbidium hookerianum var. lowianum (Rchb.f.) Y.S.Wu & S.C.Chen 1980; Cymbidium lowianum f. concolor (Rolfe) O.Gruss & M.Wolff 2007; Cymbidium lowianum var. ailaoense X.M.Xu 2005; Cymbidium lowianum var. concolor Rolfe 1891; Cymbidium lowianum var. superbissimum L.Linden 1893; Cymbidium lowianum var. viride Warner ex B.S.Williams 1897; Cyperorchis lowiana (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1924
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 photo fide; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing fide; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1961 drawing fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 No 9 1967; Beautiful Thai Orchid Species Kamemoto & Sagarik 1975 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 4 1978 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 4 1980 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 50 No 7 1981 Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 50 No 7 1981 as C lowiana var concololrPhoto fide; Opera Botanica #72 Orchid Genera in Thailand XI Cymbidiaeae Seidenfaden 1983 drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 25 1520 - 1584 Brieger 1991 photo fide; Thai Orchid Species Rakpaibulsombat 1992 photo fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Launert 1992 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 57 Vol 3 1993 as C lowianum var concolor photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 No 12 1993 photo fide; Identification of the Orchids [Orchidaceae Juss.] Vietnam Averyanov 1994; Orchid Digest Vol 60 No 2 1996 photo fide; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997; Orchids Australia Vol 10 No 6 1998 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 8 1999 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 9 1999 photo fide; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Orchids Australia Vol 12 No 6 2000 photo; Orchids of Bhutan Peaqrce & Cribb 2002; A field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2005 photo fide; Wild Orchids in Myanamar Vol 2 Tanaka 2004; A field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2005 photo fide; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007; The Genus Cymbidium Du Puy & Cribb 2007 drawing/photo fide; 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 Cymbidium lowianum var. iansonii; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 as Cymbidium lowianum var. iansoniidrawing ok; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing ok; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide; Orchid Digest Vol 76 #3 2012 photo fide; Turczaninowia 16(4):26-46 NEW AND RARE ORCHIDS (ORCHIDACEAE) IN THE FLORA OF CAMBODIA AND LAOS Averyanov 2013 ; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #2 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #6 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #2 2017 photo good; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 11 2017 drawing fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 2 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide;
Cymbidium lowianum var. concolor Rolfe 1881
Photo courtesy of Hendrik De Rocker
A single color version of the previous species.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 37 No 3 1968 photo fide; Orchids Australia Vol 10 No 6 1998 photo;
Cymbidium lowianum var. iansonii (Rolfe) P.J. Cribb & Du Puy 1984
differs from the type by it's suberect inflorescence and rhachis, close set flowers, sepals and petals lightly to strongly shaded and veined red-brown, a lip with a light brown "V" shaped mark on the mid-lobe and a longer indumentum on the inner surface and on the callus.
Synonyms Cymbidium grandiflorum var. kalawense Colear 1934; Cymbidium x iansonii Rolfe 1900; Cymbidium lowianum var. kalawense (Colyear) Govaerts 1999; Cymbidium mandaianum Gower 1912; Cyperorchis iansonii (Rolfe) Schltr. 1924
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Cymbidium Du Puy & Cribb 2007; AOS Bulletin Supplement Cymbidiums Vol 87 #10 2018 photo fide;
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