Bulbophyllum lepidum [Bl.]J. J. Sm. 1905 SECTION Ephippium Schlechter 1913

TYPE for the Section

Flower Closeup

Photos by Bob Fallon Copyright ©, and the Dr Leslie Garay Archives

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Common Name The Beautiful Bulbophyllum - In China Nan Fang Juan Ban Lan - In Thailand Singto Bai Phat Daeng

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, penninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia in semi-deciduous and evergreen forests on mossy rocks and tree bases at elevations of 300 to 1100 meters as a miniature sized, hot to cool growing epiphyte with a woody rhizome and 2" between each conical, unevenly 5 angled, shiny pale green pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, erect, oblong, shortly and obtusely bilobed apically, abruptly narrowing below into the shortly petiolate base leaf that blooms on 2 to 3, basal, 6" to 9" [15 to 22 cm cm] long, shiny purple inflorescence with 3 tubular, acute bracts and narrowly lanceolate, acute, concave, reddish brown floral bracts all holding the 11 to 13 flowers above the leaf and held in an umbel.

This species requires regular waterings and fertilizer, high humidity and good air circullation.

This species has recently been given the name Bulbophyllum flabellum-veneris (J.König) Aver. 2003 with the basionym of Epidendrum falbellum vernis J.König 1791 but J J Verm, O Byrne and Lamb 2015 state that they cannot find within the description by Koenig the most obvious diagnostic character of B lepidum which are the rounded stelida, so they have rejected B flabellum-vernis as a name for B lepidum. They do not state if it is a valid other species or not.

Bulbophyllum gamosepalum is often cited as a synonym of this species but if Garay is correct [see B gamosepalum] then these are both individual species.

B obtusiangulum is often cited as a synonym of this species but for now I have it and it's synonyms listed separately. So see also B obtusiangulum.

Synonyms Bulbophyllum andersonii Kurz 1870; Bulbophyllum griffithianum Parish & Rchb.f 1874; Bulbophyllum lepidum var. angustum Ridl. 1896; Bulbophyllum lepidum var. insigne J.J.Sm. 1920; Bulbophyllum rolfeanum Siedenfadden & Smitinand 1961; Bulbophyllum viscidum J.J. Sm. 1920; Cirrhopetalum andersonii [Kurz] Hkr. 1890; Cirrhopetalum ciliatum Klinge 1898; Cirrhopetalum flabellovernis [Koenig] Seidenfadden & Ormerad 1995; Cirrhopetalum gagnepanii Guillamin 1964; Cirrhopetalum lepidum (Blume) Schltr. 1911, Cirrhopetalum siamense Rolfe ex Downie 1925; Cirrhopetalum viscidum (J.J.Sm.) Garay, Hamer & Siegerist 1994 ; *Epidendrum flabellum vernis Koenig 1791; Ephippium lepidum Bl 1825; Phyllorchis andersonii (H. Kurz) Kuntze 1891;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905 as B lepidum; Die Orchideen Von Java Figuren Atlas J.J.Smith 1908 as B lepidum drawing fide; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1961 as B rolfeanum; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1961 as B lepidum drawing good/photo ok; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1965 corrections; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 10 1970; Notes on Cirrhopetalum Seidenfaden 1973 as B lepidum drawing fide; Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Bind 33 #3 Orchid Genera in Thailand VIII Bulbophyllum Thou Seidenfaden 1979 drawing fide; Indian Orchids Guide to Identification and Culture Pradhan 1979 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 4 1983 photo as Bulbophyllum lepidum; Orchid Digest Vol 48 No 2 1984 as B lepidum photo fide; Orchids of Java Comber 1990 photo fide as B lepidum; The Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Seidenfaden & Wood 1992 drawing fide; Orchids of Malaya Segerback 1992 photo fide; Identification of the Orchids [Orchidaceae Juss.] Vietnam Averyanov 1994; Thai Orchid Species Rakpaibulsombat 1992 as Cirrhopetalum lepidum photo fide; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994 as B lepidum; Bulbophyllum and Their Allies Seigerist 2001 as Cirrhopetalum flabellovernis; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001 as B lepidum ; Orchids of Sarawak Beeman & Wood 2001 as B lepidum photo fide; A field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2001 as Cirrhopetalum lepidum photo fide; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002 as Bulbophyllum lepidum; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003 as B lepidum; A field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2005 as Cirrhopetalum lepidum photo fide; Turczaninowia 19 (3): 5–58 L. V. Averyanov1 , Khang Sinh Nguyen etal 2016 as B flabellum-veneris; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 as Cirrhopetalum flabellovernis drawing ok; Orchid Digest Vol 73 #3 2009 photo fide; Flora of China 25: 404–440. 2009 as B lepidum - See B obtusiangulum; Bulbophyllum: the incomplete Guide From A to why? Bill Thoms 2009 photo fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo good; Wild Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Yong & Saw 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #10 2012 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #6 2014 photo fide; A Guide to the Orchids of Myanmar Kurzweil and Lwin 2014 photo fide; Bulbophyllum of Borneo J J Verm, P O'Byrne and Lamb 2015 as B lepidum photos/drawing fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 2 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo hmm;

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