Coelogyne prolifera - Prolific Coelogyne

Prolific Coelogyne is an orchid found on tree trunks and lower branches as a small to medium sized, cold to warm growing epiphyte. The ovoid to oblong, compressed pseudobulbs are 2.5-4 cm apart on rhizome, somewhat lucid when dried, narrowly ovoid-oblong, 2.2-3.7 × 1-1.2 cm. They carry 2, apical, plicate, 7 nerved, narrowly lanceshaped, long-pointed leaves which gradually narrow into the grooved, elongate stalks. The plant blooms in the spring on a terminal, slender, erect, up to 30 cm long, 3-10 flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and leaf with several, imbricate sheaths at the junction of the peduncle and rachis. This orchid blooms out of the previous years inflorescence as well as new ones hence the specific name prolifera. Flowers are green or yellowish green, about 1 cm across. Dorsal sepal is oblong, 6-7 x about 2.8 mm, 3-veined, tip blunt; lateral sepals ovate-oblong, similar to dorsal sepal in size. Petals are linear, slightly narrowed toward base, 5-6 × about 0.6 mm, 1-veined; lip nearly ovate, 6-7 x about 5 mm, base concave and shallowly saccate, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, ovate; mid-lobe nearly elliptic, about 4 × 3 mm, margin crisped, tip notched; callus with 2 inprominent longitudinal lamellae extending from base of mid-lobe and then diminishing. Column is almost erect, somewhat club-shaped, about 5 mm, tip narrowly winged and irregularly notched. Capsule is oblong, 1.2-1.4 x 0.5-0.6 cm. Prolific Coelogyne is found in northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Upper Myanmar, Yunnan China, Thailand and Vietnam in hill, lower and upper montane forests at elevations of 900-2300 m.