Hemiorchis pantlingii
Description: Leaf growth to about 15 inches tall. Petioles tightly clasped giving the impression of a short stem. This is probably the earliest flowering Ginger of our area with the flowers appearing in early spring. The peduncle grows to about 6 inches tall bearing a head of buds covered with bracts opening successively over a period of 3 weeks to a month. Individual flowers last about 4 to 5 days. Flowers resemble certain types of terrestrial orchids. Individual flowers are about 1 inch across. Winter dormant. Leaves die down in late autumn and the rhizomes remain underground in winter. Flowers before leaf growth. Rhizomes are elongated and branched and white in color with small growth eyes along the length.
Habitat: Eastern Himalayas
Ethnobotany: Not known
Four rhizomes planted in an 8 inch pot. The tallest plant is about 12 inches in height.
Rhizomes of Hemiorchis pantlingii tend to wander around underground. They are white in colour and rather thin with growth eyes at frequent intervals along the length. The rhizomes also have a habit to branch. When pot grown, the rhizomes tend to grow down to the bottom of the pot and make a big jumble of branched rhizomes. A shallow pot is more suitable for their cultivation. >
