Pleione praecox (Smith) D. Don Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 37. 1825.
疣鞘独蒜兰 you qiao du suan lan
Epidendrum praecox Smith, Exot. Bot. 2: 73. 1806; Coelogyne birmanica H. G. Reichenbach; C. praecox (Smith) Lindley; C. reichenbachiana T. Moore & Veitch; C. wallichiana Lindley; Cymbidium praecox (Smith) Lindley; Dendrobium praecox (Smith) Smith; Pleione birmanica (H. G. Reichenbach) B. S. Williams; P. concolor B. S. Williams; P. praecox var. birmanica (H. G. Reichenbach) Grant; P. praecox var. reichenbachiana (T. Moore & Veitch) Torelli & Riccaboni; P. praecox var. wallichiana (Lindley) E. W. Cooper; P. reichenbachiana (T. Moore & Veitch) Kuntze; P. wallichiana (Lindley) Lindley & Paxton.
Herbs, epiphytic. Pseudobulb green, mottled purplish brown, usually turbinate, 1.5-4 × 1-2.3 cm, apex abruptly contracted into a conspicuous neck, outer sheaths warty, 2- or rarely 1-leaved. Leaves elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic, 9-20 × 1.7-6.7 cm, papery, base attenuate into a petiole-like stalk 2-6.5 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescence appearing after leaves have fallen or withered, erect; peduncle 5-10 cm, with 3 papillate sheaths; floral bract oblong-oblanceolate, 25-30 × 15-20 mm, exceeding ovary, apex acute. Flower solitary or rarely 2, large, pink to purplish red, rarely white, with a yellow callus and occasionally with purple spots on lip. Dorsal sepal suboblong-lanceolate, 55-60 × 7-8 mm, apex acute; lateral sepals slightly oblique, slightly wider at base than dorsal sepal, apex acute. Petals linear-lanceolate, slightly falcate, 50-70 × 4-6 mm, apex acute; lip obovate-elliptic or elliptic, 40-50 × ca. 30 mm, obscurely 3-lobed; lateral lobes inconspicuous; mid-lobe lacerate on apical margin, apex emarginate; disk with 3-5 rows of papillae extending from base of lip to midway along mid-lobe. Column ± arcuate, 35-45 mm, apex irregularly toothed. Fl. Sep-Oct. 2n = 40.
On tree trunks and mossy rocks in forests, cliffs; 1200-2500(-3400) m. SE Xizang, SE and SW Yunnan [Bangladesh, Bhutan, NE India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, N Thailand, N Vietnam].