Herminium jaffreyanum King & Pantl., J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 65: 130. 1896.

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 : 21-22

23. Herminium jaffreyanum King & Pantl., J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 65: 130. 1896.

Monorchis jaffreyana (King & Pantl.) O. Schwarz. Mitt. Thuring. Bot. Ges. 1:95.1949.

Type.

INDIA. Sikkim, near the top of Sinchal , 8600 ft, Pantling R., 237 (Holotype: CAL; Isotypes: GH! [GH00100255], K! [K000079029, K000079030]) .

Description.

Plant 8-20 cm tall. Tuber oblong to ellipsoidal, 10-20 × 10-15 mm. Stem 6-12 cm, with tubular sheaths at base and 2 alternate leaves near middle. Leaves oblong, 10-22 × 0.7-1 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence 6-12 cm; peduncle cylindrical, with or without a peduncle scale; rachis 10-14 cm, densely many-flowered; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 3-7 mm, nearly equal to ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers pale green; pedicel and ovary arcuate, 3-7 mm, apex beaked. Flower 4 mm across, greenish. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate-elliptic, concave, 2-3 × 0.5-1 mm, apex obtuse, lateral sepals ovate-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 2-3 × 0.5-1 mm apex obtuse. Petals spreading, oblong, 1.5-3 × ca. 0.2-0.5 mm, apex obtuse, lip oblong, base concave and dilated, 3-lobed above middle, lateral lobes reduced, ovate; mid-lobe triangular, apex obtuse. Column 7 mm, broad, anther discrete, parallel, pollinia obovoid, caudicles very short, viscidium globose, stigma transversely oblong situated below the rostellum.

Flowering.

July-August.

Habitat.

Terrestrial or epiphytic in humid area at elevations of 2500-3300 m.

Distribution.

India, Nepal.

Specimens examined.

INDIA. Sikkim, Singalila , 3048 m, 08.1892, Pantling R., 237 (K); Sikkim, 2134 m, Hooker J.D., 279 (K-LINDL); Singalila, 3050 m, 08.1896, Pantling R., 237 (E); Darjeeling, “Rungbool” (?), 2150 m, 8.1878, Gamble J. S., 3967A (K) .

NEPAL: Koshi, Terhthum district, Tute Deurali , 2500 m, 29.08.2007, Raskoti B.B., 020139 (KATH) .

Note.

There are several specimens in various herbaria labelled as Pantling 237, but these are all from localities and elevations not corresponding to the locality and elevation cited in the protologue. Therefore, these are not isotype specimens.