Herminium souliei (Finet) Rolfe, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 36: 51. 1903.

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 : 38-39

44. Herminium souliei (Finet) Rolfe, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 36: 51. 1903.

Herminium souliei Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 22. 1910, nom. illeg. (non (Finet) Rolfe). Type: CHINA. Tibet, Kiala Dist., Togolo, near Tat-sien-lou, 1898, Soulié J. A., s.n. (Holotype: B, lost; Isotype: [presumably Soulié 407] P!).

H. souliei var. lichiangense W. W. Sm., Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 8: 337. 1915. TYPE: CHINA. Yunnan, eastern flank of the Lichiang Range, 11000 ft, 08.1910, Forrest G., 6399 (not found).

H. limprichtii Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih.4: 42. 1919. TYPE: CHINA. Yunnan, Talifu, 3500 m, 08.1913, Limpricht H. W., 1003 (Holotype: B, lost).

Monorchis limprichtii (Schltr.) O. Schwarz, Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. 1: 95. 1949.

M. souliei (Finet) O. Schwarz, Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. 1: 95. 1949.

Basionym.

Herminium angustifolium var. souliei Finet, Rev. Gén. Bot. 13: 518. 1901.

Type.

CHINA. Tibet, Kiala Dist., Togolo , 18.08.1893, Soulié J. A., 407 (Holotype: P! [P00378650]; Isotypes: K! [K000079033], P! [P00378650]) .

Description.

Plant 8-38 cm tall. Tubers oblong-ellipsoid, 8-25 × 5-15 mm. Stem with 2 or 3 tubular sheaths at base and 2-4 leaves. Leaves well-spaced, linear to lanceolate, 4-20 × 0.5-1.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence 5-25 cm; peduncle cylindrical, with peduncle-scales 0.5-2.5 cm; rachis 2.5-20 cm, densely many flowered; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 2-5 mm, equal, shorter or longer than ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers pale green; pedicel and ovary arcuate, 5-10 mm, shortly beaked. Dorsal sepal ovate, concave, 2-3 × 1.5-2 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals ovate, oblique, 2.9-3.5 × 1.2-2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Petals connivent with dorsal sepal forming a hood, linear, 2-3 × 0.4-0.6 mm, apex obtuse. Lip oblong, 2.6-4.5 × 0.7-1.2 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes linear-falcate, 0.5 × 0.3 mm; mid-lobe oblong, 0.6 × 0.3 mm, apex obtuse. Column 1 mm; pollinia ovoid; caudicles short, viscidia ovoid, rostellum triangular, stigma transversely oblong, situated below the rostellum. Capsule oblong, 1 cm.

Flowering time.

July-August.

Habitat.

Terrestrial in broad-leaved forests margins or on grassy slopes at elevations of 1400-4200 m.

Distribution.

China, Nepal.

Note.

Morphologically, Herminium souliei is similar to Herminium lanceum , but H. souliei is shorter in stature and the lip is flatter, which gives the flowers a more spidery appearance.

Specimens examined.

CHINA: Sichuan, Muli county, 2800 m, 03.08.1937, Yu C. T., 7564 (PE); Yanyuan county, Yuanbao area , Dalin town , 3200 m, 20.07.1983 (PE); Qinghai-Tibet Team, 12041A (PE); Xiangcheng county , 3900 m, 12.08.1983, Qinghai-Tibet Team, 4780 (PE); Daofu county , 3600 m, 26.08.2001, Luo Y.B., 687 (PE) ; Yunnan, eastern slopes of Likiang Snow Range, 1922, Rock J. F., 5851 (K); Lijiang, 3500 m, 03.08.1981, Beijing Hengduan Mountain Team ,02550 (PE); Qiaojia county , 1400 m, 15.09.1932, Tsai H. T., 52045 (PE); Shangri-La, 2900 m, 17.09.1962, Zhongdian Team, 2116 (PE); Shangri-La, 3250 m, 09.08.1981, Tian et al., 842 (PE) .

NEPAL: Koshi, Dhankutta district, Chitrye , 2400 m, 29.08.2007, Raskoti B. B.,02007 (KATH) .