Cymbidium tigrinum - Tiger-Striped Cymbidium

Tiger-Striped Cymbidium is a miniature sized, rock-dwelling orchid with ovoid to ovoid-conical pseudobulbs and carrying 3 to 5, leathery, recurved, narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceshaped leaves with a short leaf-stalks. The plant blooms in the spring to mid-summer on an erect, slender, 12-23 cm long, basal, 3-6 flowered inflorescence that is longer than the leaves, with honey-scented flowers. Flowers are carried on stalks 2-4.5 cm; sepals and petals yellowish green, tinged reddish brown and with purplish brown spots near base; lip white tinged purplish brown on lateral lobes and with reddish brown spots and short transverse dashes on mid-lobe, becoming pink following pollination. Sepals narrowly elliptic-lanceshaped, 3.5-4 x 0.8-1.2 cm, tip tapering. Petals narrowly elliptic, 3.4-3.8 x 0.6-1 cm, tip pointed. Lip is almost obovate, base fused to basal margins of column for 2-3 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, about 1.2 cm wide; mid-lobe recurved, margin wavy. Column is 2.5-3 cm; pollinia 2. Tiger-Striped Cymbidium is found on bare rocks, rocky crevices in open situations, in NE India, Yunnan and Myanmar, at altitudes of 1500-2700 m. Flowering: March-July.