Herminium humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q. Huang

Herminium humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q. Huang View in CoL , Cladistics

32(2): 210. 2016; Raskoti, Schuit., W.T. Jin &

X. H. Jin, PhytoKeys 79: 43. 2017. Type: CHINA ,

Qinghai, Maqen Xian, Dawu Xiang, Muchang,

SE of Maqen , N 34°20’03’’, E 100°30’34”, 3980 m GoogleMaps ,

05.08.1993, T. N. Ho, B. Bartholomew & M. Gilbert 807

(holo HNWP [Acc. no. 172080 digital image!]; iso

GH [GH00243080 digital image!]; PE [PE01432248

digital image!]; BM [BM000577762 digital image!];

CAS ( n.v.), MO [MO04651284 digital image!]).

Peristylus humidicola K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng ,

Novon 6: 190. 1996.

Bhutanthera humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng)

Ormerod, Taiwania 48: 139. 2003.

Frigidorchis humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng)

Z.J. Liu & S.C. Chen, J. Fairylake Bot. Gard. 6(3):

17. 2007. [Note: All above three names are homotypic synonyms of Herminium humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q. Huang ]

Plants 2.5–3.5 cm tall. Tuber globose, 5–7 × 4–6

mm; roots two, thick, fleshy. Stem sheathed at base. Leaves 2, opposite, ovate-elliptic, c. 1.3 × 1.1 cm, apex acute; petioles enclosed by two white tubular sheaths forming a pseudostem, 8–17

mm long. Inflorescence up to 2.5 cm tall, subcorymbose, densely 3–5 flowered. Flowers green to yellowish green, 8 mm across, ebracteate; sepals apically white margined, surface warty; pedicel and ovary 7–8 mm long. Dorsal sepal suborbicular,

hood shaped, 3–3.2 × 2.5–3 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals ovate-elliptic, 4–4.6 × 2.4–2.6 mm,

apex acute. Petals orbicular, 3–3.2 × 3.1–3.3 mm,

surface papillose, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, ca. 6

× 3 mm, lateral lobes narrowly triangular, tooth-

like, c. 0.5 mm long; midlobe ligulate-linear,

3–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm at middle, spur c. 2 mm long, slightly bent. Column 1.5–1.8 mm long; rostellum triangular, short-armed. Pollinarium c. 1.2 mm

long; pollinia c. 0.8 mm long, obovoid; caudicles

c. 0.13 mm long; viscidium milky white, disc like.

Fruit not seen.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering and fruiting from July to August.

Habitat: Terrestrial in open alpine grassland along with mosses and other dwarf herbs; the plants growing widely scattered in low numbers; elevation around 4530 m.

Distribution: China ( Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet), India ( Arunachal Pradesh; reported here).

Specimens examined: INDIA , Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang, Bulma Pass , N 27°43’14”, E 91°53’30”, 27.07.2023, J. Tsering 50255 (OHT) GoogleMaps .