Cymbidium ensifolium (L.) Sw. subsp. haematodes (Lindl.) Du Puy & P.J.Cribb ex Govaerts, World Checklist Seed Plants 3, 1 (1999) 20
Basionym: Cymbidium haematodes
Terrestrial. Rhizome very short, roots to 0.6 cm diam. Pseudobulbs crowded, 3-4-leaved, indistinct, hidden by the sheaths. Leaf sheaths to 6.5 cm long, 5-ribbed. Leaves strap-shaped, erect to slightly recurved, 30-100 by 1-2.8 cm, coriaceous, margins finely serrate, apex acute, apiculate. Inflorescences arising from the base of the shoot, racemose, erect, 25-70 cm long, 2-7-flowered. Floral bracts lanceolate-triangular, 0.9 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 1.7 cm long, obtusely triangular in cross-section. Flowers resupinated, c. 3.5-4 cm across. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 2.2-2.5 by 0.5-0.55 cm, concave, apex acute. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, 2.2-2.5 by 0.5-0.55 cm, concave, apex acute. Petals porrect, lanceolate, 1.8-2 by 0.5-0.75 cm, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed near the middle, 1.6-2 by 1.2 cm when flattened, with two longitudinal keels, touching each other, forming a tunnel, extending to the base of the mid-lobe; lateral lobes broad, shortly rounded, front margin somewhat undulate; mid-lobe ovate, recurved at the apex, acute. Column slender, curved; column-foot very short. Anther cupular, obtuse. Pollinia 2, deeply slit, stipe very short, on both sides caudiculate. Fruit erect, triangular. (After Reeve, 1984, and Smith, 1905, as Cymbidium ensifolium (L.) Sw.).
Colours: Flower light green to yellow, usually with 5 red-purple stripes, petals with up to 7 stripes. Lip hypochile whitish with wine-red margins ans short transverse wine-red stripes on lateral lobes; mid-lobe light yellowish green with pale red-purple blotches. Column light green, in frnt spotted light red-purple. Anther cream coloured, pollinia yellow.
Habitat: Terrestrial in leaf-litter in primary and secondary forest. Altitude 500-1300 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, April, June, September, November.
Distribution: Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, Thailand, South India, Sri Lanka.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 196-375M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires well-drained, humus-rich compost and light shade.