Vanda longitepala D.L.Roberts, L.M.Gardiner & Motes

Vanda longitepala D.L.Roberts, L.M.Gardiner & Motes View in CoL in Kew Bull. 63: 495. 2008 [publ. 2009]. Type: BURMA [ MYANMAR], Myitkyina district , near “Black Rock”, 1200–1500 m, Kermode 17331 (holo K). Figs. 1 View Fig & 2 View Fig

Epiphytic herbs. Stems woody, up to 60 cm high, 0.8– 0.7 cm thick. Leaves leathery, arching, unequally apically acutely bilobed, praemorse, up to 7–10.5 × 1.5–2 cm. Inflorescence 2 or 3, 1.5–2 cm long, 1−2-flowered; floral bracts sheathing, ovate, c. 0.4 × 0.4 cm, apex obtuse-acute.Flowers 4.3–4.5 cm across, thickly textured, widely opening, yellowish green; pedicel ribbed ovary yellowish green, 2.5–3 cm long. Dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, apex obtuse, 2.8–3.2 × 0.9–1.1 cm. Lateral sepals sub-falcate, acuminate, 2.7–3 × 0.7–1 cm. Petals linear, acuminate, 3–3.1 × 0.3–0.5 cm. Lip 2–2.1 × 1–1.3 cm; yellow to white with dark purple striped, fleshy, spurred; hypochile bilobed, acuminate; epichile rectangular, trilobed at apex, apex cleft sometimes with a short point in sinus; disk rugulose with 2 slender elongated processes on apical margin. Column entire, not constricted at base, c. 0.4 cm long, c. 0.3 cm wide; rostellum triangular; anther-cap cucullate, glabrous, c. 0.4 cm long, c. 0.3 cm broad; pollinia 2, yellow; viscidium, c. 0.1 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Flowering: Flowering from March to April; fruiting not seen.

Habitat: Epiphytic on tree trunks in tropical mixed evergreen forest at an elevation of 1000 to 1200 m.

Distribution: Myanmar and now in India .

Specimen examined: INDIA , Arunachal Pradesh, Mishmi Hills, Lower Dibang Valley district , 1000 to 1200 m, 16.04.2023, Gogoi LDV01157 (TOSEHIM) .

Notes: Vanda longitepala is morphologically related to V. cristata Wall. ex Lindl. , but differs in the extremely long tepals, slender linear and acuminate lateral petals, and the lack of a constricted base of the column. The differences between V. longipetala and V. cristata are shown in the table 1.