Nagoran - Nagoran

Japanese: ナゴラン - なごらん

An evergreen perennial plant of the orchid family (APG classification: Orchidaceae). It has short stems, 3-6 leaves arranged alternately in two rows, and is 8-15 cm long. From May to August, a 5-12 cm long flower stalk emerges from the leaf axil, and 3-10 pale yellow-white flowers, each about 3 cm in diameter, bloom. The lateral sepals have brown horizontal stripes, and the lip has reddish purple spots. The lip has three lobes, the lateral lobes are small, and the central lobe is spatula-shaped and protrudes forward. It has a thick spur that curves forward. It grows on trees and rocks, and is distributed in western Japan west of the Izu Islands, Okinawa, the Korean Peninsula, and southern China. Its name comes from the fact that it was collected in Nago, Okinawa.

[Ken Inoue May 21, 2019]

Cultivation

It can be grown on staghorn fern or in a pot with charcoal in the bottom to improve ventilation, then potted in sphagnum moss. It grows well in warm places, and should be kept in partial shade in summer and above freezing in winter.

[Masao Inomata May 21, 2019]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ラン科（APG分類：ラン科）の常緑多年草。茎は短く、葉は2列互生に並んで3～6枚を密につけ、長さ8～15センチメートル。5～8月、葉腋(ようえき)から長さ5～12センチメートルの花茎を出し、径約3センチメートルの淡黄白色花を3～10個開く。側萼片(がくへん)に褐色の横縞(よこじま)、唇弁に紅紫色の斑紋(はんもん)がある。唇弁は3裂し、側裂片は小さく、中央裂片はへら形で前方に突き出る。前方に湾曲した太い距(きょ)がある。樹上や岩上に着生し、伊豆諸島以西の西日本、沖縄、朝鮮半島、中国南部に分布する。名は、沖縄の名護(なご)で採集されたことによる。

［井上　健　2019年5月21日］