Requesting I’d of an orchid specimen:
Kindly help in the identification of a bulbophyllum orchid rescued from North Sikkim.


This picture is not of much help and I am sure I am looking at two different genus in the pot.


I can make a guess for B. scabratum, but I am not sure.



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Requ. for ID. of Bulbophyllum species: Please help me to identify this Bulbophyllum sp. The species collected
from Arunachal Pradesh at 2000m.msl
Plant is 10-12 cm long and purplish in colour inflorescence with 2-4 flowers, 7-8 cm long, flowers 2.5 cm long. Flowering in the month of May.

I am really surprised and BIG TIME HAPPY to see this again. Few weeks back it was sent to me by another Orchid expert from India.
This is very peculiar can you please send me the picture of whole plant. Tentatively I have identified it as either Bulbophyllum rolfei or Bulbophyllum scabratum, but I am not sure yet….could also be a new species.
Please send me more details. How many leaves on the bulb, pic of whole plant and habitat etc.

Prepare a detailed sketch and illustration. If this is proved to be a new species then publish it as early as possible. I will help you FOR FREE 🙂 for this.


We have not been able to resolve this yet….. even after passing it on to the experts at Kew and Leiden. I still think its close to scabratum !!


This plant had been worrying me since long.

While studying Bulbophyllums, I found some more information.
This is very close to Bulbophyllum insulsum (Gagnep.) Seidenf.. Kew considers it synonym of Bulbophyllum levinei Schltr., but I feel they are different. The orientation of lateral sepals in insulsum is more parallel where as it is very much divergent in levinei.
Hope it CONFUSES MORE :).

I guess it does not match with any of three suggested.


If it doesnt match with anything then obviously it could be new. Some how i dont see a very happy flower here. Could also be some mature flowers so they dont match with their sketches of fresh flower. Best way is to dissect.


I am still thinking what it can be if not Bulbophyllum scabratum.