Pleione (orchid)

Pleione (peacock orchid) is a small genus of predominantly terrestrial but sometimes epiphytic or lithophytic, miniature orchids. This genus is named after Pleione, mother of the Pleiades (in Greek mythology), and comprises about 20 species. Other common names of this genus include glory of the east, Himalayan crocus, Indian crocus and windowsill orchid. The genus Diploconchium Schauer is generally included here. Pleione is abbreviated to Pln in trade journals.

Species

• Pleione albiflora (China - W. Yunnan to N. Burma).
• Pleione aurita (China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione braemii (China - Yunnan).
• Pleione bulbocodioides (C. China to SE. Tibet)
• Pleione chunii (S. China).
• Pleione coronaria (C. Nepal).
• Pleione formosana : Taiwan Pleione (SE. China, N. & C. Taiwan).
• Pleione forrestii (China - NW. Yunnan)- to N. Burma).
• Pleione grandiflora (China (- S. Yunnan to NW. Vietnam).
• Pleione hookeriana (Nepal to China - SE. Yunnan to N. Guangdong- to Indo-China)
• Pleione humilis (C. Himalaya to Burma).
•  Pleione lagenaria
• Pleione limprichtii : Hardy Chinese Orchid (China - C. Sichuan).
• Pleione maculata (C. Himalaya to China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione microphylla (China - Guangdong).
• Pleione pleionoides (C. China).
• Pleione praecox (WC. Himalaya to China - S. Yunnan). (type species)
• Pleione saxicola (E. Bhutan to China - NW. Yunnan).
• Pleione scopulorum (India - NE. Arunachal Pradesh to China - NW. Yunnan).
• Pleione vietnamensis (SC. Vietnam).
• Pleione yunnanensis (SC. China to N. Burma).

It has been suggested that P. bulbocodioides, P. limprichtii and P. pleionoides could all be the same species.
Currently, there are two sections in the genus Pleione

• section Pleione (includes the autumn-flowered species) : P. × lagenaria, P. maculata, P. praecox, P. saxicola
• section Humiles (includes the spring-flowering species) : P. albiflora, P. bulbocodioides, P. chunii, P. × confusa, P. coronaria, P. formosana, P. forrestii,¨P. grandiflora, P. hookeriana, P. praecox, P. × kohlsii, P. limprichtii, P. pleionoides, P. scopulorum, P. yunnanensis

Natural Hybrids

• Pleione × barbarae (P. bulbocodioides × P. grandiflora) (China - SE. Yunnan to N. Vietnam).
• Pleione × christianii (P. yunnanensis × P. forrestii) (China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione × confusa (P. albiflora × P. forrestii) (China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione × kohlsii (P. aurita × P. forrestii) (China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione × lagenaria (P. maculata × P. praecox).(Assam to China - W. Yunnan).
• Pleione × taliensis (P. bulbocodioides × P. yunnanensis) (China - W. Yunnan).