Herminium elisabethae (Duthie) Tang & F.T. Wang, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 7: 129. 1936.

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 : 17

13. Herminium elisabethae (Duthie) Tang & F.T. Wang, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 7: 129. 1936. Figs 6L , 7L , 8L , 9L

Peristylus elisabethae (Duthie) R. K. Gupta, Fl. Nainital 351. 1968.

Basionym.

Habenaria elisabethae Duthie, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 71: 44. 1902.

Type.

INDIA. Uttaranchal , Tehri-Garhwal, Nag Tiba, 08.1899, 2743-3948 m, Mackinnon P. W., 22990 [a "Duthie 22990 "] (Lectotype, here chosen: K! [K000387522]; Isolectotype: K! [K000387586]; P! [P00426409]). Syntypes : INDIA. Simla , Edgeworth, Lady E. Bubington Smith s.n. (Syntype: CAL); Naini Tal, up to 8000 ft, Davidson s.n. (Syntype: CAL); Tehri-Garhwal, 7000-10000 ft, Duthie 524 (Syntype: CAL); near Mussoorie, 6000-7000 ft, Mckinnon P. W., 22990 (Syntype: K! [K000387523]) .

Description.

Plant 10-40 cm tall. Tubers oblong-ellipsoid, 1-2.5 × 0.5-1 cm. Stem with 1 or 2 tubular sheaths at base, 2-3-leaved. Leaves cauline, elliptic to lanceolate, 3-12 × 0.8-2 cm, apex acute or acuminate. Inflorescence 6-32 cm; peduncle cylindrical, slender; peduncle-scales 1 or 2, lanceolate, to 3 cm; rachis 3-22 cm, rather laxly to subdensely many-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 4-8 mm, nearly equal to or shorter than ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers subsecund, yellowish green; pedicel and ovary arcuate, shortly beaked, 6-9 mm. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, concave, 1.5-2 × 1.5-2 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals oblique, ovate, 1.5-2.3 × 1-1.5 mm, apex acute. Petals hooded with dorsal sepals, ovate, oblique, upper half fleshy, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, apex obtuse. Lip oblong, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, base concave, 3-lobed near middle; lateral lobes oblong, 1 × 0.5 mm, apex obtuse; mid-lobe oblong, 1.5 × 1.3 mm, apex obtuse; spur pendulous, oblong-clavate, 1 mm, apex obtuse. Column 1 mm; pollinia ellipsoid, viscidia involute, rostellum triangular, stigma transversely oblong situated below the rostellum. Fruit oblong, 0.5-1 cm long.

Flowering time.

July-September.

Habitat.

Terrestrial in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests and on alpine grassy slopes at elevations of 2100-4100 m, once reported growing on oak trees.

Distribution.

Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal.

Specimens examined.

BHUTAN: Gasa Dist., Upper Mo Chu, around Taktsimakhang , 3560-3600 m, 14.08.2000, Miehe G. and Miehe S., 00-286-03 (K) ; Gasa Dist., Upper Mo Chu , 3900 m, 12.08.2000, Miehe G. and Miehe S., 00-278-04 (K) .

CHINA: Tibet, Cona county, 3300 m, 10.09.1974, Qinghai-Tibet Team, 75-1924 (PE); Gyirong county, 3200 m, 24.07.1975, Qinghai-Tibet Team, 7071 (PE); Lhasa Dist. , 0.5-0.7.1947, Guthrie J., s.n. (K); Luozha county , 2764 m, 17.08.2013, Chen, Y. S., Chang, Z.Y., Deng M., et al., 13-1461 (PE); Nyingchi county , 3100 m, 04.08.1965, Zhang Y.T., and Lang K.Y., 1319 (PE); Yadong county , 4100 m, 11.09.1974, Qinghai-Tibet Team, 74-2304 (PE); Yadong county , 3600 m, 25.08.2010, PE-Tibet Team, 01784 (PE); Yadong county , 3900 m, 27.08.2010, PE-Tibet Team, 02069 (PE); Zayu, junction of the Di Chu and Zayul Chu, " 5000-7000 ft " (1500-2100 m), 16.07.1926, Kingdon-Ward F., 7145 (K); east of Jatung , 3050 m, 03.08.1936, Spencer Chapman F., 349 (K) .

INDIA: Himachal Pradesh, Kulu-Lahaul, 1888, Drummond J. R., 23/94 (K); Uttarakhand, Kumaon , 3650 m, undated, Strachey R. and Winterbottom J. E., 32 (K) ; Uttarakhand, Mussoorie, Nag Sika, 05.08.1898, Mackinnon P., 21766 (K); East of Tehri , 09.1901, Mackinnon P., 25412 (K) .

NEPAL: Gandaki, Manang District, Hunde , 3350 m, 04.08.1983, Rajbhandari K. R., 8824 (KATH) ; Janakpur, Dolakha District, Sekpa to Gyangsar , 2800 m, 20.07.1977, Rajbhandari K. R., and Roy B., 1641 (KATH) , Koshi, Sankhuwasabha District, Gup hapokhari, 2900 m, 30.08.1989, Grey-Wilson C., Zmarzty S., Sinnott M., Long D., Mc Beath R., Noltie H. and Subedi M., 99 (K, KATH); Jaljale Himal, Gu-Padara ridge, 2780 m, 23.08.1984, Farille M. and Lachard G., 847536 (K); above Tukele, 3000 m, 24.07.1973, Grey-Wilson and Phillips, 361 (K); Langtang, 2900 m, 07.09.1971, Dobremez J. F., 1011 (K); Tinjure Danda, 2750 m, 07.09.1867, Williams and Stainton, 8409 (K) .

Figures

Figure 6. Dorsal sepal of Herminium. A H. monorchis B H. chloranthum C H. pygmaeum D H. josephi E H. monophyllum F H. lanceum G H. macrophyllum H H. glossophyllum I H. coeloceras J H. fallax K H. handelii L H. elisabethae M H. himalayanum N H. clavigerum O H. quinquelobum P H. macrophyllum Q H. mannii R H. biporosum.

Figure 7. Lateral sepal of Herminium. A H. monorchis B H. chloranthum C H. pygmaeum D H. josephi E H. monophyllum F H. lanceum G H. macrophyllum H H. glossophyllum I H. coeloceras J H. fallax K H. gracile L H. elisabethae M H. himalayanum N H. clavigerum O H. quinquelobum P H. macrophyllum Q H. lanceum R H. biporosum.

Figure 8. Petal of Herminium. A H. monorchis B H. chloranthum C H. pygmaeum D H. josephi E H. monophyllum F H. lanceum G H. josephi H H. coiloglossum I H. coeloceras J H. fallax K H. himalayanum L H. elisabethae M H. alaschanicum N H. ophioglossoides O H. quinquelobum P H. macrophyllum Q H. ecalcaratum R H. biporosum

Figure 9. Lip of Herminium. A H. monorchis B H. chloranthum C H. pygmaeum D H. josephi E H. monophyllum F H. macrophyllum G H. macrophyllum H H. alaschanicum I H. coeloceras J H. fallax K H. longilobatum L H. elisabethae M H. alaschanicum N H. lanceum O H. quinquelobum P H. kamengense Q H. coiloglossum R H. biporosum.