Kuhlhasseltia nakaiana ("Hakunran")

Japanese name: ハクウンラン （白雲蘭）
Scientific name: Kuhlhasseltia nakaiana

[Overview]
A small perennial 5–13 cm tall, found on the forest floor.
It is a terrestrial orchid.
In northern Honshu it is found on the floor of Hinoki-asunaro forests, and elsewhere on the floor of evergreen or deciduous broadleaf forests and mixed forests of these.
The stem creeps at the base but is erect in the upper part.
The leaves are simple and alternate, several sparsely arranged at the base of the stem.
The leaves are ovate-orbicular, 3–7 mm long and 2.5–7 mm wide, with a short sheathing petiole, and clasp the stem.
The tip of the flower stalk bears 1–7 flowers in a spike.
The flower stalk has fine soft hairs.
In the flower, the lateral sepals are longer than the dorsal sepal, 4.5–5 mm long, and fused and swollen at the base, enclosing the base of the lip.
The lateral petals adhere closely to the dorsal sepal and are inconspicuous.
The sepals and lateral petals are pale green.
The lip is white, with a narrow claw (base) and a blade (tip) that widens abruptly into a transversely oblong rectangle, forming a T shape.
The base of the lip forms a spur with two hemispherical swellings.
Inside each swelling is a slender, fleshy projection.
The ovary, bracts and sepals have fine soft hairs.

[Notes]
The Japanese name derives from the fact that it was first collected by Nakai Takenoshin on Mt. Hakuun on the Korean Peninsula.

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