Paphiopedilum tigrinum Koop. & N.Haseg.

South-west China (W. Yunnan) only

On rocks in light shade on steep volcanic mountains, 1400–1980 m.

A terrestrial herb with a short leafy stem; roots elongate, terete, reddish hairy. Leaves 4–6, coriaceous, linear-ligulate, rounded and somewhat unequally bilobed at apex, 16–23 cm long, 2.4–3.5 cm wide, green, paler beneath. Inflorescence erect, one-flowered; peduncle terete, 20–25 cm long, green with purple spotting, softly purple-pubescent; bract elliptic, acute, 4–6 1–1.6 cm., green with purple spotting, glabrous. Flower 8–12.7 cm across, shortly purple-pubescent on outer surfaces of the sepals; dorsal sepal yellowish green marked with deep marooon irregular longitudinal lines and bars; synsepal pale cream with smaller longitudinal lines near the base; petals translucent green at base, with two longitudinal maroon bars, rich purple above; lip glossy lime-green shaded with rose-brown and finely spotted brown; staminode creamy yellow with a dull purple centre; pedicle and ovary 4.5–5 cm long, creamy green, pubescent. Dorsal sepal erect, obovate, broadly acute, 4.5–5.3 cm long, 3–4.4 cm wide; synsepal oblong-elliptic, acute, 3.7–5 cm long, 1.7–3 cm wide. Petals slightly deflexed, spreading widely, oblanceolate-spathulate, obtuse, 6.2–7.2 cm long, 2–3.1 cm wide, half twisted in apical half, dorsal margin sinuate towards the base, shortly ciliate, purple-pubescent at base on inner surface. Lip deeply saccate, tapering towards the apex, 3.5–4.6 cm long, 2.1–2.5 cm wide, glabrous. Column 1.5 cm long, purple-pubescent. Staminode 11 mm long, 7 mm wide, longitudinally obovate-subrhombic, obscurely 3-toothed in front, with a central glossy umbo, papillate.