Eulophia sooi Chun & Tang ex S. C. Chen Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 18: 412. 1999.

剑叶美冠兰 jian ye mei guan lan

Plants autotrophic, to 100 cm tall. Pseudobulb subterranean, transversely ellipsoid, ca. 4.5 × 2.5 cm. Leaves 1 or 2, present at anthesis, linear-lanceolate to ensiform, ca. 40 × 2 cm, contracted at base into a petiole-like stalk, apex acuminate; petiole-like stalk ca. 50 cm, enclosed in basal sheaths for ca. 2/3 of its length. Inflorescence racemose, to 100 cm, with several sheaths at blackish brown nodes; sheaths amplexicaul, tubular, 4-14 cm; rachis 8-10 cm, laxly 8-10-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 6-7 × ca. 2 mm, shorter than ovary, apex acuminate. Flowers yellow, small to medium-sized, ca. 17 mm in diam.; pedicel and ovary 10-15 mm. Dorsal sepal suboblong, 10-12 × ca. 3.5 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals lanceolate-oblong, slightly oblique, 12-13 × ca. 3 mm, apex subacute. Petals subelliptic, 9-11 × 6-7 mm, apex obtuse; lip broadly ovate, ca. 13 × 11 mm, spurred at base, 3-lobed above middle; lateral lobes incurved and loosely embracing column, subelliptic; mid-lobe ovate-oblong, 4-5 × 3-4 mm, apical margin slightly undulate, apex obtuse; disk with 5 thickened ridgelike veins on mid-lobe and with 4 suborbicular lamellae midway along lip; lamellae 2-3 mm, ca. 1 mm tall; spur conic, 2-3 mm. Column ca. 7 mm, margin narrowly winged, with a column foot ca. 1 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul.

● Grassy slopes; 1000-1300 m. W Guangxi, SW Guizhou.