Calanthe masuca (D.Don) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 249 (1833).
Homotypic Names:
Bletia masuca D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 30 (1825).
Alismorkis masuca (D.Don) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 650 (1891).
Calanthe furcata f. masuca (D.Don) M.Hiroe, Orchid Flowers 2: 87 (1971).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Amblyglottis emarginata Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 369 (1825).
Zoduba masuca Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 30 (1825), pro syn.
Calanthe emarginata (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 249 (1833).
Calanthe purpurea Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 249 (1833).
Calanthe fulgens Lindl., Fol. Orchid. 6: 10 (1855).
Calanthe wightii Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 932 (1864).
Calanthe textorii Miq., Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 204 (1866).
Calanthe masuca var. grandiflora B.S.Williams, Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 4: 105 (1871).
Calanthe pleiochroma Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1871: 938 (1871).
Calanthe versicolor Lindl., Sert. Orchid.: 42 (1871).
Calanthe textorii var. alba Maxim., Mélanges Biol. Bull. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 8: 643 (1872).
Calanthe textorii var. violacea Maxim., Mélanges Biol. Bull. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 8: 643 (1872).
Calanthe curtisii Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 22: 262 (1884).
Calanthe dipteryx Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 21: 394 (1884).
Calanthe masuca var. fulgens (Lindl.) Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 851 (1890).
Alismorkis emarginata (Blume) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 650 (1891).
Alismorkis pleiochroma (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 650 (1891).
Alismorkis purpurea (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 650 (1891).
Alismorkis textorii (Miq.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 650 (1891).
Calanthe masuca var. sinensis Rendle, J. Bot. 40: 310 (1902).
Calanthe violacea Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1913: 29 (1913).
Calanthe longicalcarata Hayata ex Yamam., Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 20: 39 (1930).
Calanthe seikooensis Yamam., J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 3: 237 (1931).
Calanthe kintaroi Yamam., J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 6: 550 (1934).
Calanthe okinawensis f. albiflora Ida, J. Geobot. 16: 99 (1969).
Calanthe furcata f. albiflora (Ida) Hatus., Fl. Ryukyus: 862 (1971).
Calanthe furcata f. textorii (Miq.) M.Hiroe, Orchid Flowers 2: 88 (1971).
Calanthe masuca f. albiflora (Ida) K.Nakaj., Biol. Mag. 8: 77 (1971).
Calanthe textorii f. albiflora (Ida) Hatus., Fl. Ryukyus: 862 (1971).
Calanthe albolongicalcarata S.S.Ying, Bull. Exp. Forest Natl. Taiwan Univ. 114: 155 (1974).
Calanthe textorii var. longicalcarata (Hayata ex Yamam.) Garay & H.R.Sweet, Orchids S. Ryukyu Is.: 121 (1974).
Calanthe masuca var. purpurea (Lindl.) A.N.Rao & S.R.Rathore in S.K.Jain & A.Mehrotra, Prelim. Invent. Orchidac. India: 25 (1984).
Description:
Terrestrial. Pseudo bulbs, closely arranged, conical with annular scars, 4 to 6 cm in height, many long stout roots arising from its base. Leaves elliptic, acute, narrowed at the base to a short petiole, 4 to 6 in numbers, 8 to 12 cm long and 3 to 5 cm in width, veined. Flowers many, in peduncle arising between the outer leaf and the inner ones, and longer than it, with 2 to 4 narrow lanceolate bracts at regular intervals. Raceme much shorter than the peduncle. Floral bract narrow, lanceolate, arising from the lower side of the stalked ovary. Flowers about 3 to 4 cm across, depressed. Sepals sub-equal, lanceolate; dorsal slightly shorter and wider than the lateral, arching or diagonally erect; lateral spreading. Petals smaller and narrower than the sepals, oblanceolate, one veined. Lip smaller than the sepals and petals, three lobed; basal lobes oblong, stretching forward; apical lobe large, spreading, rhomboid, deeply emarginate at its apex; the disc with three irregular long calli at the centre and two short ones on to its sides. Spur cylindric, longer than the stalked ovary. Floral bract arising from the lower side of the stalked ovary and less than half the size of it, lanceolate. Sepals and petals pale violet to pink, petals much paler than the sepals. The margins of both closer to pinkish white. Lip of a darker shade of sepals and petals, the ridges on its disc are reddish brown. Spur and ovary pale violet. Floral bract green.
Habitat:
In temperate forests at elevations of 400 to 1500 meters.
Distribution:
Madagascar, Trop. & Subtrop. Asia
References:
King, G. & Pantling, R. (1898). The Orchids of the Sikkim-Himalayas. Ann. Roy. Bot. Garden. (Calcutta). Calanthe masuca Lindl., Page no 173