Gastrochilus is a small genus in the orchid family, comprising 64 species collectively distributed from China, India, and Sri Lanka through eastern Asia and southern Japan to Indonesia and the Philippines. China is the center of species diversity for the genus, which contains 39 species, 19 of which are believed to be endemic.

   Researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) found a new species of Gastrochilus during their field investigation in southeastern Yunnan. After undertaking a comprehensive literature and herbarium review, they named the new species as Gastrochilus acutifolius.

   The new species is characterized by stout stem with large cauline leaves. It exhibits great variation between populations in number and size of spot on sepals and petals, color of the epichile and characters of the leaf apex. The spots on the sepals and petals vary from sparse to dense; the yellow center of the epichile is not obvious in some flowers; the apex is acuminate in old leaves and bilobed with awns in new leaves

  Its habitat is traditional tea garden and subtropical monsoon evergreen broad–leaved forest, epiphytic on the trees,1450–1700m.

  The new species “A new species of Gastrochilus (Aeridinae, Vandeae, Orchidaceae) and a new record species from Yunnan, China” has been published in Phytotaxa.

Gastrochilus acutifolus. A. Habitat in traditional tea garden. B. Plant. C. Front view of flower. D. Anther cap. E. Pollinia.

(Photos by Q. Liu.)

Gastrochilus acutifolus. A. Variation in spots on flowers. B. Apex of leaves. (Photos by Q. Liu.)