Calanthe vestita Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1833) 250
Type: Wallich s.n. (Burma, Tavoy) (holo K-WALL)
Pseudobulbs closely spaced, 3-4-leaved, conical-ovoid, angular, 4-10 by 2.5-3 cm, becoming leafless after one season. Leaf sheaths short. Leaves narrowly elliptic, 40-60 by 5-20 cm, glabrous, plicate, deciduous after one growing season, apex acuminate. Inflorescence arising at the base of the pseudobulb, racemose, erect, curved at the top, c. 50 cm long, peduncle and rachis pilose, peduncle-scales 4-6, 10-20-flowered. Floral bracts ovate, 1.5-2.5 by 1.2 cm, apex acute-acuminate, shortly pubescent. Ovary 1.5-3.5 cm long, pilose. Flowers resupinated, showy. Median sepal lanceolate, 2.2 by 0.7-0.8 cm, pilose outside. Lateral sepals somewhat obliquely lanceolate, 2.5 by 0.7-0.8 cm, pilose outside, apex acuminate. Petals elliptic, 1.8-2 by 0.8 cm, glabrous, apex apiculate. Lip clawed, 3-lobed near the middle of the blade, the claw entirely adnate to the column, in total 1.8-2 by 1.9-2.3 cm, spurred, with three low ridges from the apex of the claw decurrent on the mid-lobe; lateral lobes obliquely rectangular-oblong, 1 by 0.5 cm, rounded to subtruncate; mid-lobe bilobulate, 1.2 by 1.5-1.8 cm, lobules divergent, truncate, margins erose; lip glabrous except for the spur; spur strongly incurved, slender, 2-2.5 cm long, shortly pubescent. Column semiterete, 0.8-1 cm long, entirely adnate to the claw of the lip. Anther with two horn-like projections in front. Pollinia equal, in two groups of 4.
(After Chan et al., 1994).
Colours: Flower white, lip at the base of the blade with a deep yellow blotch (elsewhere, including Borneo, also with a light red blotch).
Habitat: Epiphyte on mossy tree trunks, also terrestrial.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, the Philippines.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 101-381M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte, requires humus-rich compost, keep in light shade.