Luisia filiformis - Threadlike Luisia

Threadlike Luisia is a small sized orchid growing on trees, with an often drooping stems. Stems are 34-90 cm, 4-5 mm in diameter, internodes 3-4 cm. Leaves are arranged on one side of stem, 14-26 cm x about 3 mm. Flower clusters are erect, arising from lower part or near base of stem, 1-2 cm, few flowered. Floral bracts are broadly ovate-triangular, about 2 mm, fleshy. Flowers are slightly fleshy, whitish, lip dark purple; flower-stalk and ovary about 8 mm. Dorsal sepal is ovate, about 7 x 3 mm, concave, blunt; lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal, about 8 x 3 mm, dorsally carinate and becoming winged at tip. Petals are linear, 8-11 x 1.5-1.7 mm, blunt; lip about 7 mm, with a distinct boundary between epichile and hypochile; hypochile lateral lobes about 4 x 4 mm; epichile broadly ovate-triangular, about 4 × 5 mm, above with several papillate longitudinal ridges, tip blunt. Column is about 4 mm. Threadlike Luisia is found growing on tree trunks in dense forests. at altitudes of 300-1100 m, in Eastern Himalayas, in NE India, Yunnan, Bhutan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam. Flowering: April-June.