Oberonia variabilis Kerr 1927 SUBGENUS Menophyllum

Plant and Inflorescence

Photos by © Marni Turkel

Inflorescence

Photo by © Karel & Alex Petrzelka and the Vietnam Orchid Website

Drawing

Drawing by © Seidenfaden and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Full Shade Winter EARLIERSpring

Common Name The Variable Oberonia - In China Mi Bao Yuan Wei Lan

Flower Size .1" [1.6mm]

Found in Hainan province of China, Thailand and Vietnam on trees as a mini-miniature sized epiphyte with a very short to inconspicuous stem carrying 3 to 5, subbasal, distichous-equitant, laterally compressed, linear, straight to slightly falcate, base not articualte, acuminate to acute apically leaves that blooms in the winter through earlier spring on a subterete, 2.5 to 4" [6 to 10 cm] long, wingless, many flowered inflroescence with many whorled, lanceolate, aristate sterile bracts and narrowly lanceolate, long acuminate apically floral bracts.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Bind 33 nr 1 Orchids of Thailand VII Oberonia & Malaxis Seidenfaden 1978 drawing fide; Identification of the Orchids [Orchidaceae Juss.] Vietnam Averyanov 1994; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 2 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide;

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