Scientific Name: Calanthe argenteo-striata
Family: Orchidaceae
Plant Type: Perennial herb, with green foliage and blue flowers.
This species belongs to the genus Calanthe, which includes approximately 250 species globally, with around 50 found in China. These orchids are mainly distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia.
Morphological Features:
The plant lacks a prominent rhizome. Pseudobulbs are short and conical, about 1.5 cm thick, with 2–3 sheaths and 3–7 spreading leaves at flowering. The leaves are dark green with 5–6 silver-gray stripes, oval or ovate-lanceolate in shape, measuring 18–27 cm in length and 5–11 cm in width. They have an acute tip and a narrowed base, ranging from 3–4 cm long. The leaves are smooth or slightly hairy on the underside.
The inflorescence arises from the center of the leaf cluster, reaching up to 60 cm in height, with dense, short bracts and 3–4 tubular sheaths. The raceme is 7–11 cm long, bearing more than 10 flowers. The sepals are broadly ovate, about 1.5 cm long, with an acute apex and a back-coated surface.
The pedicel and ovary are yellow-green, approximately 3 cm long. The flowers open widely, with the bracts and petals reflexed. The central bract is elliptical, 9 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, with an obtuse tip and a short awn, featuring 5 veins. The back is slightly hairy. The lateral sepals are broadly ovate-elliptic, 10 mm long and 5.5 mm wide, with an obtuse tip and a short awn, also with 5 veins and slight hairiness on the underside.
The petals are subconical or obovate, slightly smaller than the sepals, with a subtruncate and slightly convex apex and 3 veins. They are smooth. The lip is white, fused with the entire stem, longer than the sepals, with three small golden-yellow nodules at the base. It is three-lobed, with the lateral lobes resembling an axel, 7 mm long and wide, with a suborbicular tip. The central lobe is deeply two-lobed. The lobes and lateral lobes are yellow-green, thin and cylindrical, 1.5–1.9 cm long, narrowing toward the end, with sparse short hairs outside. The column is white, about 5 mm long. The trichomes are two-lobed and yoke-shaped. The medicinal caps are white, with an apically narrowed and verrucose apex. The pollen mass is narrowly ovoid or ovoid, subequal, about 2 mm in size, with a short pollen stalk and visco-repellent near square.
Flowering Season: April to May.
Origin and Distribution:
Native to northern Guangdong (Conghua), southwestern Guangxi (Longzhou), southwestern Guizhou (Xingyi, Anlong), and southeastern Yunnan (Jinping, Malipo). It grows in rocky crevices or earth-covered limestone plains beneath hillside forests, typically at elevations between 500–1200 meters above sea level.
Growth Habit:
Thrives in warm, moist, and semi-shaded environments.
Cultivation and Conservation:
It can be grown in pots using peat-based soil. A layer of broken bricks should be placed at the bottom of the pot for better drainage. During winter, it does not go dormant, and the ideal winter temperature ranges between 10°C and 15°C. This orchid is usually divided into two categories: evergreen species and winter deciduous dormants. Some varieties can grow up to 70 cm tall, with inflorescences taller than the leaves and many flowers. The flowers are yellow-green. Leaves may remain green or dry during winter and bloom in spring. Keep the pot dry during the winter months.
Common Varieties:
Popular types include the Three-edge Shrimp Blue Orchid, Silver Ribbon Shrimp Spiny Blue, and Tassel Shrimp Blue Orchid, among others.
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