Volume 12 > Part 2 > Year 2014 > Page 521 > Orchidaceae > Eulophia

13. Eulophia spectabilis (Dennst.) Sureshwfo-0000960273

in D.H. Nicolson et al., Interpret. Van Rheede’s Hort. Malab.: 300. 1988; Seidenf., Opera Bot. 114: 330, fig. 225. 1992; Seidenf. & J.J.Wood, Orchids Penins. Malays. Singap.: 541, fig. 246. 1992; S.Thomas, Lindleyana 13: 194. 1998; Thaithong, Thai Orchids: 368, colour photos on pp. 368–369. 2000; J.B.Comber, Orchids Sumatra: 215 (incl. colour photos). 2001; N.Pearce & P.J.Cribb, Fl. Bhutan 3(3): 253. 2002; Sitthisajjadham, Wild Orchids Thail.: 265 (incl. colour photos). 2006; Nanakorn & Watthana, QSBG (Thai Native Orchids 2): 92, colour photos on pp. 92–93. 2008; S.C.Chen et al. in Z. Wu et al. (eds), Fl. China 25: 258. 2009.— Wolfia spectabilis Dennst., Schlüssel Hortus Malab.: 38. 1818. Fig. 287; Plate XLIII: 4.

Accepted Name : Eulophia nuda Lindl.
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 180. 1833; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 5. 1890; Seidenf. & Smitinand, Orchids Thail.: 492, 816, fig. 365–366. 1961–1965; Seidenf., Opera Bot. 72: 40, fig. 26. 1984.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Plant with underground corms. Corms subspherical to ellipsoid, 3–4.5 cm long, 1.3–3.9 cm in diameter. Foliage leaves 2–3, present at anthesis, leaf bases forming a 6–31 cm long pseudostem; free part of each leaf narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 6–52 by 0.7–7.2 cm. Inflorescence racemose, 19–75 cm tall, lax, 6- to 16-flowered; peduncle green, 11–49 cm long; floral bracts shorter than or subequal to ovaries. Flowers spreading, opening half-way or less, mainly rose-coloured to dark reddish-green or purplish-red (petals and labellum often whitish, labellum often with purplish veins and tinged yellow at centre); apochromic forms occur occasionally. Sepals acuminate; dorsal sepal (linear-)lanceolate, 17.3–30 by 4.5–7 mm; lateral sepals obliquely to falcately (linear-)lanceolate, 19.2–34 by 4–5 mm. Petals obliquely ovate to oblanceolate, obtuse to acute, 17.8–23 by 7–8.5 mm, glabrous. Labellum (oblong-) ovate to somewhat fiddle-shaped or weakly 3-lobed, rounded to retuse, 17–27 by 14–15 mm when flattened, spurless, glabrous on the ventral side, margins straight in proximal part, undulate in distal part; ornaments of 5–9 (often low) keels extending from the labellum base to near the apex where they are verrucose. Column 8–10 mm long; column foot subequal to column proper, forming a prominent, obliquely conical spur. Ovary (including pedicel) 14–29 mm long. Capsule not seen.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai (Mae Chedi), Phayao, Nan, Lamphun (Doi Khun Tan NP), Lampang, Tak, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan (Takhli); NORTH-EASTERN: Phetchabun (Nam Nao), Loei, Mukdahan (Phu Mano); EASTERN: Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi (Khao Soi Dao); PENINSULAR: Krabi, Trang (Thung Khai), Satun (Ban Rao Pla), Narathiwat (Waeng).

Distribution : Sri Lanka, India (type), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indochina, S China (Yunnan, Jiangxi) and throughout Malesia to the W Pacific Islands (southeast to Tonga).

Ecology : seasonal evergreen forests, mixed deciduous forests, dry deciduous dipterocarp forests, hill evergreen forests, savanna forests, pine forests, bamboo thickets, rubber plantations, roadsides and old forests clearings, 100–2,100 m alt. Flowering all year round, but mainly March–June.

Vernacular : Wan din (ว่านดิน), wan hua khru (ว่านหัวครู)(Lampang); ueang phrao (เอื้องพร้าว)(Chiang Mai).

Notes: I have seen no herbarium specimen of this species from Phayao; the above record is based on Pakum et al. (2010).