Pholidota pallida

 
There is a basic difference between Pholidota imbricata and Pholidota pallida. The two lateral sepals are fused on the back in pallida and they are free in imbricata.   
 
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Pholidota pallida Lindl., Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 21: t. 1777 (1835).
Synonyms:
Coelogyne pallida (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 288 (1862).
Coelogyne calceata Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 238 (1862).
Pholidota imbricata var. sessilis Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 846 (1890).
Pholidota yunnanensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 19: 378 (1924), nom. illeg.
Pholidota yunpeensis Hu, Rhodora 27: 107 (1925).
Pholidota schlechteri Gagnep., Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., II, 3: 147 (1931), nom. illeg.
Pholidota tixieri Guillaumin, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., II, 28: 548 (1957).
Pholidota pallida var. sessilis (Hook.f.) P.K.Sarkar, J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 5: 1008 (1984).
Distribution: Himalaya to Indo-China

Interesting.

 

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Pholidota pallida Lindl. SN Mar -9 : Attachments (1). 2 posts by 2 authors.
Pholidota pallida Lindl., Fam: Orchidaceae

Epiphytic orchid,
Bahamandala, coorg, Karnataka

Pholidota pallida and Pholidota imbricata seems very close to each other. I have seen and photographed P.imbricata in Uttarakhand which also looks like this species (P.pallida). Some authors have reduced P.pallida to synonym of P.imbricata. However, Dr Pankaj in Orchidaceae fortnight mentioned that both are different.

 

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SK725 25 AUG-2017:ID : 3 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (6)

Location: Kathandu, Nepal
Altitude: 4400 ft.

Date: 10 June 2017

Pholidoda imbricata ??? 

I believe this is Pholidota pallida too. I am not as sure as previous post yesterday because i need to see the flower from below to see if the lateral sepals are together or separate.

But looks like Pholidota pallida to me.

  

 

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Pholidota imbricata Lindl. : 13 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (4)

Location: Pharping, Nepal
Altitude: 4600 ft.

Date: 05 July 2014

Finally, I see this plant after a long wait and with a photograph from a perfect angle. This is interesting because this is not Pholidota imbricata but Pholidota pallida. The lateral sepals as seen in the pictures are surely fused with each other on one margin under labellum. We don’t see this species so often and even if we see, we misidentify it as Pholidota imbricata because that’s the most common one.

In Pholidota imbricata the lateral sepals are not fused on the lower margin and distinctly separate and diverging.

Thank you … for correcting ID !  

Pholidota pallida Lindl.
No Nepali Name.
The two species Pholidota pallida and P. imbricata are really confusing but the explanation provided by … is very good. But still, I feel there should be more prominent distinguishing characters to be highlighted which would help the scholars in finding the real difference between the two. I have also seen numbers of reputed publication stating those as synonyms.  
Let me share one incident where my Paper got rejected with the reason – it’s not properly identified!
So, I request all the experts in Orchidaceae to please take part in the discussion and similarly help me in finding the correct id for the species. I am attaching the photographs.  
Attachments (10)
There are many other characters, some of which can’t be explained in words. If you give two plants in my hand then i might be able to tell without flowers. Touch the leaf, one is leathery other is papery (now different people will explain this differently and some may not be able to differentiate, it comes with experience and comes with the ability to feel the touch of leaves). The bulb is shiny in one, but not shiny in another.
But with flowers, they can be very easily distinguished because you can see if the lateral sepals are fused underneath. Please remember for people like me who can see only what u provide. Sometimes it’s a guess, while other times by mistake or so the prominent character is right in front of me.
Identification from pics always has such limitations.

Thanks, …  May I also request you pl. help in the id of … plant. 

It is Pholidota imbricata.

References:

The Plant List