Scientific name: Bulbophyllum tipula Aver.
English name:
Vietnamese name:
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Creeping branch and canopy epiphyte. Rhizome creeping, tiny, (7)9–12(16) cm long, (0.5)0.7– 0.8(0.9) mm in diam., with erect pseudobulbs distant on (1)1.5–2.5(3) cm. Pseudobulbs light pale green, often with purple-brown tint, narrowly ovoid to ovoid, (4.5)5–7(9) mm tall, (2.5)3–4(5) mm in diam., glossy, irregularly finely grooved and wrinkled, young with papyraceous, yellowish-white bract remnants. Leaf shortly petiolate; leaf blade rigid, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, (1.5)1.6–1.8(2.2) cm long, (7)8–9(10) mm wide, adaxially finely rugose dark green, with prominent conduplicate fold, abaxially smooth, light pale green, speckled with white, notched or shortly bilobed at apex; petiole very short, subterete, shallowly grooved, (0.8)1– 1.2(1.4) mm long and wide. Inflorescence arising from base of pseudobulb, 1-flowered; peduncle rather rigid, filiform, (4)4.5–5.5(6) cm long, slightly curved to almost straight, erect yellowish to dull brownish-purple, with 1–3 negligible sterile whitish scarious distant bracts. Floral bract scarious, whitish to light pale yellowish-pink, narrowly ovate, obtuse, (1.6)1.8–2(2.2) mm long, (0.6)0.7–0.8(0.9) mm wide. Pedicel and ovary light yellowish-green speckled with purple, (5)5.5–6.5(7) mm long, ovary narrowly obconical, longitudinally slightly grooved (1.3)1.4–1.5(1.6) mm long, (0.6)0.7–0.8(0.9) mm in diam. near flower base. Flowers almost odorless, widely opening, (1.7)1.8– 1.9(2.1) cm long, (4.2)4.6–4.8(5.2) mm wide. Sepals and petals straight, entire along margins, yellow with purple-brown stripes along nerves, apical part of lateral sepals entirely purple-brown. Median sepal erect, ovate, 5–5.5 mm long, 4.4–4.6 mm wide, concave, acute, with 5 nerves. Lateral sepals free, obliquely falcate, (13)14– 15(16) mm long, (2.4)2.5–2.6(2.7) mm wide near the base, with (4)5 nerves, in basal part twisted, in apical half with inverted connivent margins forming attenuate, obtuse tube 0.8–1 mm in diam. Median and lateral sepals distant on column foot, which bears on its sides broadly triangular segment (1.2)1.3–1.4(1.5) mm wide, attenuate into shortly-cylindric, yellowish, finger–like fleshy seta, (0.3)0.4–0.5(0.6) mm long. Petals obliquely triangular narrowly ovate, (2.4)2.6–2.8(3) mm long, (1.5)1.6–1.8(2) mm wide near the base, obtuse, with 3 nerves. Lip yellow above, white below, finely speckled with purple in basal part, fleshy, narrowly triangular, (3.7)3.8–4(4.2) mm long, (0.7)0.8–1(1.2) mm wide, recurved, broadly grooved, smooth, without keels or ears, rounded or blunt at apex, movably attached to column foot apex. Column white, speckled with purple at front finely, shortly cylindric, broad, (1.9)2–2.2(2.3) mm tall and wide, with half-round, concave stigma and large triangular forward directed wings bearing in apical part erect, small triangular, stelidia; operculum dull yellow, hemispheric, smooth, (0.7)0.8–0.9(1) mm in diam.

Habitat, phenology and conservation status.

Creeping branch and canopy epiphyte. Primary broad-leaved humid evergreen forests on crystalline karstic highly eroded limestone. 1100–1150 m. Fl. June–July.

Not common.

Estimated IUCN Red List status – DD.

Distribution.

Vietnam province: Ha Giang (Bac Me district).

Endemic.