全 文 ：植 物 分 类 学 报 44 (2): 178–183(2006) doi:10.1360/aps050082
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica http://www.plantsystematics.com
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Received: 16 May 2005 Accepted: 8 December 2005


Notes on some taxa of Cymbidium sect. Eburnea
1LIU Zhong-Jian 2CHEN Sing-Chi 1RU Zheng-Zhong
1(Shenzhen City Wutongshan Nurseries, Shenzhen 518114, China)
2(State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing 100093, China)
Abstract A new species and a new variety of Orchidaceae, Cymbidium concinnum Z. J. Liu
& S. C. Chen and C. eburneum var. longzhouense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen, are described and
illustrated. Cymbidium concinnum is related to C. mastersii Griff. ex Lindl., from which it
differs by having unlobed-tipped leaves, an 18- to 22-flowered inflorescence and a V-shaped,
purple-red patch on the mid-lobe of the lip; C. eburneum var. longzhouense differs from
typical variety mainly by having rather dense purple-red mottles on the mid-lobe and the
apical parts of the side-lobes of the lip. Cymbidium maguanense is discussed taxonomically,
for which a neotype is chosen here. A key is provided to six Chinese taxa of Cymbidium sect.
Eburnea.
Key words Cymbidium sect. Eburnea, Cymbidium concinnum Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen,
Cymbidium eburneum var. longzhouense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen, Cymbidium maguanense,
new species, new variety, neotype, key.
Cymbidium Sw. sect. Eburnea was established by Seth and Cribb in 1984. The two
species included were Cymbidium eburneum Lindl. and C. parishii Rchb. f., to which C.
roseum J. J. Sm. and C. mastersii Griff. ex Lindl. were added by Du Puy and Cribb in 1988.
This section is characterized by its new pseudobulb produced biennially or perennially, its
scape arising from the axils of the leaves, and its lip fused basally to the base of the column
for 2–6 mm.
In China, only two species, C. eburneum and C. mastersii, of this section were
recognized until 1996, when the third species, C. maguanense, was described by F. Y. Liu
based on a cultivated plant. This new species was then considered to be conspecific with C.
mastersii (Chen, 1999), probably judging by the original description: “stem erect, 10–30 cm
long”. We failed to make a check on the type specimen, because no holotype was seen in the
herbarium of the Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN), as designated by the author (F. Y. Liu
88004), nor living plant found in the botanical garden of the same institute. It was not until
very recently when many living plants were collected from the type locality (Maguan
County), enabling us to deal with it.
Another new member of the section is C. changningense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen, which
was described very recently. It is characterized by having a V-shaped, purple-red patch on the
mid-lobe of the lip, an eye-catching sign found in many species such as C. lowianum Rchb. f.,
C. schroederi Rolfe and C. baoshanense F. Y. Liu & Perner. The new species described here
is the fifth one to have such a colored patch on the mid-lobe of the lip, though the patches
show some differences in shape and color from each other in different species. It is still
uncertain, however, whether or not the same kind of insects the V-shaped patch would attract
for pollination.
In the present paper, a new species and a new variety are described, a species is
No. 2 LIU Zhong-Jian et al.: Notes on some taxa of Cymbidium sect. Eburnea 179
discussed taxonomically, for which a neotype is chosen here, and a key is provided for all the
Chinese species of this section.
1. Cymbidium concinnum Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen, sp. nov. Fig. 1
Species nova Cymbidio mastersii Griff. ex Lindl. similis, a quo differt foliis non lobatis
ad apicem, inflorescentia 18- ad 22-flora, lobo medio labelli signo V-formi purpureo-rubro
praedito.
China. Yunnan (云南): Lushui (泸水), Pianma (片马), on trees in broad-leaved forest,
alt. 2300 m, 2004-11-03, Z. J. Liu (刘仲健) 2918 (holotype, SZWN*; isotype, PE).
Epiphytic plants. Pseudobulbs subovoid, bilaterally flattened, 4–8 cm long, 2.5–3.6 cm
wide, enclosed in persistent leaf bases. Leaves 4–8, lorate, coriaceous, 30–75×0.9–1.4 cm,
acuminate, articulated 5–12 cm from the base. Scape axillary, arching, 40–60 cm long, with
several sheaths in lower part; raceme laxly with 18–22 flowers; floral bracts triangular, 2–3
mm long; pedicel and ovary 2.2–2.7 cm long; flowers 5–6 cm across, fully opening, scented,
cream yellow; sepals and petals with pale purple-red veins composed of many small spots; lip
with pale purple-red stripes on the side-lobes and a V-shaped purple-red patch and a short
median line of the same color on the mid-lobe; lamellae yellowish spotted with purple-red;
sepals narrowly obovate-oblong, 4.3–4.6×1 cm, slightly concave, apex acute; lateral sepals
slightly oblique; petals broadly linear, falcate, 4.2–4.4×0.7–0.9 cm, apex acute; lip elliptic-
obovate in outline, 3.5–3.8 cm long, 3-lobed, base fused to the base of the column for 2–3
mm; side-lobes erect, clasping the column, adaxially hairy; mid-lobe subcordate or broadly
ovate, 9–11×9–11 mm, adaxially minutely hairy, undulate-margined; disc with 2 hairy
lamellae extending from near its base to near the base of the mid-lobe, apically converging or
fused to each other; column 3–3.2 cm long, winged, hairy ventrally; pollinia 2, cleft. Fl.
Oct.–Nov.
On trees in broad-leaved forest; alt. 2300 m. W Yunnan (Lushui County).
Several living plants of this new species are now cultivated in our nursery. It is akin to
Cymbidium mastersii Griff. ex Lindl., from which it differs by having unlobed-tipped leaves,
an 18- to 22-flowered inflorescence, and a V-shaped, purple-red patch on the mid-lobe of the
lip.
2. Cymbidium eburneum Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 33: t. 67. 1847; Hook. in Curtis’s Bot. Mag.
85: t. 5126. 1859; Rolfe in J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 36: 29. 1903; Y. S. Wu & S. C. Chen in Acta
Phytotax. Sin. 18: 303. 1980; Seth & Cribb in Arditti, Orch. Biol. Rev. Prosp. 3: 304. 1984;
Du Puy & Cribb, Genus Cymbidium: 133, fig. 25 (3). 1988; Y. S. Wu, Chinese Cymbidiums
(ed. 2): 60, fig. 28. 1993; S. C. Chen & Z. H. Tsi, Orch. China 85, fig. 5 (10). 1998; S. C.
Chen in Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 18: 208. 1999. Type: India, cult., Loddiges s.n. (holotype, K!).
2a. var. eburneum
Leaves 1.4–2.1 cm wide, apex bilobed, with a mucro in the sinus. Inflorescence with 1 or
rarely 2(–3) flowers; flowers slightly scented; sepals and petals white, sometimes slightly
tinged with pinkish; lip white, with a yellow patch centrally and occasionally a few purple-red
spots on the mid-lobe; lamellae yellow; column white, slightly tinged with pinkish, more or
less spotted with yellow at ventral base.
On rocks along valleys; alt. 1000–2000 m. China (SW Guangxi, Hainan, W Yunnan);
India; Myanmar; Nepal.
2b. var. longzhouense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen, var. nov. Fig. 2
Varietas nova a typo bene differt lobo medio et partibus apicalibus loborum lateralium
labelli manifeste purpureo-rubro-maculosis, columna maculis minutis vel striolis purpurinis

* SZWN=Herbarium, Shenzhen City Wutongshan Nurseries, China.
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 44 180


Fig. 1. Cymbidium concinnum Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen. A, habit; B, flower; C, dorsal sepal, lateral sepal, petal and lip; D,
lip and column, side view; E, column; F, pollinarium. Drawn by L. J. Chen from the type gathering, Z. J. Liu 2918
(SZWN).

No. 2 LIU Zhong-Jian et al.: Notes on some taxa of Cymbidium sect. Eburnea 181


Fig. 2. Cymbidium eburneum var. longzhouense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen. A, habit; B, flower; C, dorsal sepal, lateral
sepal and petal; D, lip; E, lip and column, side view; F, column, front view; G, pollinarium. Drawn by L. J. Chen from the
type gathering, Z. J. Liu 3032 (SZWN).

Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 44 182
secus venter vel subinde dorsum praedita.
China. SW Guangxi (广西西南): Longzhou (龙州), Mt. Daqingshan (大青山), alt. 800
m, 2005-04-20, Z. J. Liu (刘仲健) 3032 (holotype, SZWN; isotype, PE).
Leaves 1.5–2 cm wide, apex obliquely and sharply bilobed. Inflorescence with 1–2
flowers; flowers scented; sepals and petals white, usually tinged with pinkish dorsally; lip
white, with a yellow patch centrally, manifestly mottled with purple-red on the mid-lobe and
the apical parts of the side-lobes; lamellae yellow; column white, with purplish minute spots
or dashes ventrally or occasionally also dorsally, tinged with yellow toward the base.
On rocks in open forest; alt. 800 m. SW Guangxi (Longzhou).
This new variety is a charming orchid. It differs from the typical variety (C. eburneum
var. eburneum) mainly by its floral color. In the new variety the lip has rather dense
purple-red mottles on the mid-lobe and the apical parts of the side-lobes, and the column has
minute purplish spots and dashes ventrally or occasionally also dorsally, while in C.
eburneum var. eburneum, there are no such dense colored mottles on the mid-lobe of the lip,
nor purplish spots or dashes on the ventral surface of the column. In addition, the flowers of
the new variety are more fragrant than those of the typical variety, and in our nursery C.
eburneum var. eburneum flowers in February and March, while the new variety in April and
May.
3. Cymbidium maguanense F. Y. Liu in Acta Bot. Yunnan. 18: 412, fig. 2. 1996.
China. SE Yunnan (云南东南): Maguan (马关), F. Y. Liu 88004 (holotype, nothing
preserved in either KUN or its botanical garden). Type: China. SE Yunnan (云南), Maguan
(马关), 2004-11-10, Z. J. Liu (刘仲健) 2776 (neotype, SZWN; isoneotype, PE).
In the original description, the pseudobulb of this species was said to be an erect stem
10–30 cm in length. It seemed that there were few differences between C. mastersii and this
new species, and then the latter was considered to be conspecific with the former (Chen,
1999). However, it is still a question whether the original description of the pseudobulb is
correct. No type specimen was found either in the herbarium of the Kunming Institute of
Botany (KUN) or in any of other herbaria. No definite answer was made by the author of C.
maguanense to our question, neither type specimen nor living plant, based on which the new
species was described, could be provided by the author. It is evident that the type specimen
either has been lost or has never been deposited in any herbarium.
Fortunately many living plants of this species were collected from Maguan (type
locality) in recent years. They all flowered in our nursery, showing little difference in floral
structure and color from the original description of C. maguanense except the pseudobulbs
which are 7–8 cm in length, not stem-like, but ovoid-cylindric and enclosed in leaf bases. One
of them, Z. J. Liu 2776, is chosen here as a neotype for C. maguanense F. Y. Liu.
A description of this species is given as follows:
Epiphytic plants. Pseudobulbs cylindrical-ovoid or subcylindrical, 4–10 cm long, 2–2.5
cm wide, enclosed in persistent leaf bases. Leaves 8–19, distichous, lorate, 37–76×1.2–2.4
cm, apex acuminate and unequally bilobed, base conduplicate and narrowly membranous-
margined, articulated 6–13 cm from the base. Scapes 1–2, axillary, suberect, 20–45 cm long;
peduncle with several sheaths 5–13 cm long; raceme with 2–4(–5) flowers; floral bracts
ovate-triangular, 5–6 mm long; pedicel and ovary greenish tinged with purplish, 2–3 cm long;
flowers white or pinkish, fragrant; sepals and petals sometimes tinged with purplish abaxially;
lip with a suboblong yellow central patch on the mid-lobe; sepals narrowly oblong-elliptic,
4.8–6×1.5–2 cm, acuminate; lateral sepals slightly oblique; petals narrowly oblong-
lanceolate, 4.6–5.2×0.8–1.2 cm, acuminate; lip subobovate or obovate-elliptic, 4.5–5.2×
(2–)2.6–3.2 cm, 3-lobed, base fused to the base of the column for ca. 5 mm; side-lobes erect,
No. 2 LIU Zhong-Jian et al.: Notes on some taxa of Cymbidium sect. Eburnea 183
more or less clasping the column, densely covered with white short hairs; mid-lobe broadly
subovate, 1.2–1.3×1.4–1.8 cm, slightly recurved, crisped-margined, densely short-hairy on
the yellow patch; disc with 2 longitudinal lamellae inflated and confluent apically to form a
subdeltoid callus; column 3.6–4 cm long, pale purple to pink, slightly arcuate; pollinia 2, cleft,
subovoid. Fl. Oct.–Dec.
Thus, there are altogether five species and a variety in this section found in China, to
which a key is provided as follows:
1. Leaves unlobed apically; inflorescence with 18–22 flowers………………………………….C. concinnum
1. Leaves more or less bilobed apically; inflorescence with 1–10 flowers.
2. Lip with a V-shaped, purple-red patch on the mid-lobe…………………..………….C. changningense
2. Lip without a V-shaped patch as above on the mid-lobe.
3. Pseudobulbs stem-like, growing indeterminately for many years, 10–30 cm or more long …………
……….…………………………………………………………………………………….C. mastersii
3. Pseudobulbs not stem-like, growing indeterminately for 2–3 years, usually 7–8(–10) cm long.
4. Lip rather densely mottled with purple-red on the mid-lobe and the apical parts of the side-
lobes………………………………………………………………C. eburneum var. longzhouense
4. Lip not or occasionally sparsely spotted with purple-red on the mid-lobe.
5. Inflorescence with 1 or rarely 2(–3) flowers; flowers large, petals 5.5–7 cm long, 1.3–1.8 cm
wide.………………………………………………………….…..C. eburneum var. eburneum
5. Inflorescence usually with 2–4(–5) flowers; flowers smaller, petals 4.6–5.2 cm long, 0.8–1.2 cm
wide…………………………………………………………………….……….C. maguanense
Acknowledgements We thank Miss L. J. CHEN for her preparing the illustration.
References
Chen S C. 1999. Cymbidium Sw. In: Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (中国植物志). Beijing: Science
Press. 18: 191–227.
Du Puy D, Cribb P J. 1988. The Genus Cymbidium. Oregan, Portland: Timber Press.
Liu F-Y (刘方媛). 1996. Two new species of Orchidaceae from Yunnan. Acta Botanica Yunnanica (云南植物
研究) 18: 411–414.
Seth S J, Cribb P J. 1984. A reassessment of the sectional limits in the genus Cymbidium Swartz. In: Arditti J
ed. Orchid Biology, Reviews and Prospectives. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 3: 283–322.
兰属腋花组若干种类的研究
1刘仲健 2陈心启 1茹正忠
1(深圳市梧桐山苗圃总场 深圳 518114)
2(系统与进化植物学国家重点实验室, 中国科学院植物研究所 北京 100093)
摘要 对新种丽花兰Cymbidium concinnum Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen和新变种龙州兰C. eburneum var.
longzhouense Z. J. Liu & S. C. Chen进行了描述和绘图; 丽花兰与大雪兰C. mastersii Griff. ex Lindl.有亲
缘关系, 区别点在于新种叶片先端不分裂, 花序具18–22朵花, 唇瓣中裂片上有一个V型的紫红色斑块;
龙州兰(变种)与独占春(原变种)的主要区别在于唇瓣中裂片上和侧裂片顶部有较密的紫红色斑。对象牙
白C. maguanense的分类问题进行了讨论, 并为其指定了新模式; 还为腋花组sect. Eburnea国产种类提
供一个检索表。
关键词 兰属腋花组; 丽花兰; 龙州兰; 象牙白; 新种; 新变种; 新模式; 检索表