Herminium albovirens (Renz) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q. Huang, Cladistics 2015.

Raskoti, Bhakta Bahadur, Schuiteman, Andre, Jin, Wei-Tao & Jin, Xiao-Hua, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Herminium L. (Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae), PhytoKeys 79, pp. 1-74 : 9

4. Herminium albovirens (Renz) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q. Huang, Cladistics 2015.

Basionym.

Bhutanthera albovirens Renz, Edinburgh J. Bot. 58: 102. 2001.

Type.

BHUTAN. Tongsa district, Thita Tso, Rinchen Chu , 13. 07. 1937. Ludlow and Sherriff, 3441 (Holotype: BM! [BM000074511]) .

Description.

Plant 4-6 cm tall. Tuber globose, 0.5-1 × 0.4-0.5 cm. Stem with 2 leaves and tubular sheaths. Leaves subopposite, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, subacute, 1-1.9 × 0.4-1.1 cm. Inflorescence terminal, 1-2-flowered; floral bract lanceolate, acuminate, 3 × 0.5-1mm. Flowers white, sepals and petals yellowish green, 0.8-1cm across; pedicel and ovary fusiform, 6-8 mm long. Dorsal sepal ovate, obtuse, 5 × 3.5 mm; lateral sepals obliquely ovate, falcate, subacute, 6-6.5 × 3-4 mm. Petals obovoid, rounded, 3-5 × 2.5-4 mm. Lip deeply 3-lobed, spurred, base quadrate, 0.5 × 2 mm (wide); lateral lobes oblong, rounded, 3.5-4 × 0.8mm; mid-lobe oblong, rounded, 5 × 0.6 mm; spur conical, globose, rounded, curved forwards, 2-3 × 0.8-1 mm. Column short, broad, 1 mm tall; anther-cap long-beaked, 1.5-1.9 mm long.

Flowering time.

July-September.

Habitat.

Terrestrial on alpine cliffs and in rock crevices at elevations of 4270-4720 m.

Distribution.

Endemic to Bhutan.

Specimen examined.

BHUTAN: Upper Kulong Chi district, Shingbe, 17.09.1949, Ludlow & Sherriff, 21196 (BM! [BM000074510]).

Note.

Our description is based on Pearce and Cribb (2001) and an image of the holotype. Herminium albovirens is similar to H. albosanguineum , but differs in having yellowish-green sepals, yellowish-green to white petals and a white lip. More material of these species is needed to assess their variability.