Bulbophyllum section Lepidorhiza Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10 (1911) 93
Small to large epiphytes. Rhizomes creeping; rhizome bracts thin to thick, glabrous, caducous including the veins, or veins more persistent as fibres. Roots sprouting mainly below the pseudobulbs, spreading and densely and coarsely papillose-rugulose-verrucate. Pseudobulbs conspicuous compared to the size of the plant (minute in Bulbophyllum aemulum, Bulbophyllum infundibuliforme), 1-leafed, with shoots sprouting at its basal node, not fused to the pseudobulb. Leaves persistent, thick, veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences sprouting from the (sub-)basal node of the pseudobulb, single, a usually elongated raceme with flowers distichous. Peduncle longer than the pseudobulbs, peduncle bracts 4— 8, scattered with the upper up to somewhat above half-way the peduncle. Rachis not or hardly thickened. Flowers per inflorescence usually 1 open at a time, several open in some species; floral bracts amplexicaul and usually proximally tubular; pedicel with the basal node well above the attachment of the floral bract (sometimes only slightly above the attachment in the lowermost flower), longer than the ovary. Sepals free, the laterals 1— 1.7 times as long as the median; 6— 230 mm long, elliptic to triangular, obtuse to long-caudate, glabrous, rather thin to thick, 5— 13-veined. Petals 4.5— 95 mm long, elliptic to triangular, obtuse to caudate, glabrous; thin to thick, 3— 12-veined (also 1-veined in Bulbophyllum infundibuliforme). Lip mobile on a thin ligament, often with (in-)conspicuous, antrorse auricles close to the base, and sometimes with a second or even a third couple of much smaller auricles closer to the base, undivided, 6.5— 52 mm long, elliptic to oblong, to triangular, margins entire, sometimes somewhat erose, glabrous; adaxially without ridges, or with two inconspicuous or distinct, entire to erose ridges in approx. flexural position, sometimes with two more short or even knob-shaped ridges close to the ligament, adaxial surface glabrous to partly or entirely papillose, verrucate, echinate, or fimbriate; abaxial surface glabrous. Column with rostellum front receding in between the stelidia tips, stigma small or large, with 3 keels inside (two on the front wall, a single on the back wall), proximally often more or less protruding or with a tooth, column foot tapering towards its top or not, approx. without lateral lobes next to the ligament, free part short or absent, sometimes with a small a median tooth well above the ligament. Stelidia 1/2 of the length of the column or longer, or shorter, triangular and acute to long subulate, often with an (antrorse) tooth or wing along the upper margin, with or without a deltoid, rounded to obtuse wing along the lower. Anther abaxially with a low to very high, rounded crest, front not concave, front margin not or hardly drawn out. Pollinia 4, the inner more than half as long as the outer, without appendages.
Distribution
New Guinea: 6 taxa. Altogether 27 provisionally accepted taxa (38 names): Borneo, Sulawesi, The Philippines, Maluku, New Guinea, West Pacific.
Notes
All species share papillose-rugulose-verrucate roots and a distichous raceme. Bulbophyllum aemulum and Bulbophyllum infundibuliforme (previously sect. Hymenobractea, revised in De Witte & Vermeulen in press) are comparatively small plants with often more than one flower open per inflorescence and with short, triangular stelidia. They are provisionally included here.
The following taxa in this program belong to this Section:
Bulbophyllum aemulum
Bulbophyllum exasperatum
Bulbophyllum hymenobracteum
Bulbophyllum infundibuliforme
Bulbophyllum odontoglossum
Bulbophyllum oobulbum
Bulbophyllum tristelidium