Helmet-shaped Zeuxine

Family Orchidaceae. Grows in Central Asia (in the southern Pamir-Alay). Outside Central Asia — in Afghanistan, India, China, Japan, and the Philippines. Occurs rarely in wet places, in river valleys, on the plain and in the lower mountain belt.

A small plant 6–16 cm tall, densely leafy, with oblong-linear or linear-lanceolate sessile leaves gradually passing into membranous, pointed bracts that exceed the flower. Inflorescence a dense spike-like raceme 1.5–5 cm long. Flowers small, 3–5 mm long, white, nearly sessile. The median segment of the outer whorl is folded with the two inner ones, forming a helmet; the lateral outer segments are spreading. The lip is shorter than the other perianth segments, divided into a sac-like inflated hypochile and a somewhat expanded epichile. The column is short, pollinia bilobed. Blooms in March–May.