Bulbophyllum section Uncifera Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 697
Small to medium sized epiphytes. Rhizomes creeping, straggling, or erect to stiffly pendulous; rhizome bracts thin, surface minutely colliculate to papillose or transversely rugate, caducous including the veins. Roots sprouting from nodes along the length of the rhizome, or mainly close to the base of the rhizomes, spreading, glabrous to minutely hirsute locally. Pseudobulbs conspicuous compared to the size of the plant, 1-leafed, with shoots sprouting from its (sub-)basal node and free, not fused to the pseudobulb. Leaves persistent, thick, veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences sprouting from nodes along the length of the rhizome or from the (sub-)basal node of the pseudobulb only, single to fasciculate, 1-flowered or racemose with flowers spirally arranged. Peduncle shorter or longer than pseudobulbs but not exceeding the leaf tips, peduncle bracts 2— 8, scattered but most in the basal half of the peduncle. Rachis, if present, not thickened. Flowers per inflorescence several to all open at a time; floral bracts tubular; pedicel with the basal node well above the attachment of the floral bract, as long as the ovary or (distinctly) longer. Sepals free, the laterals not or hardly longer than the median; 2— 21 mm long, elliptic to ovate, obtuse to acute (acuminate to caudate in Bulbophyllum cavibulbum), glabrous, (rather) thin, 3-veined (5-veined in Bulbophyllum posticum). Petals 1— 6 mm long, elliptic to ovate, rounded to acute, margins entire, sometimes slightly erose (distally), sometimes finely papillose distally; thin, 1-veined (3-veined in Bulbophyllum posticum), surface glabrous. Lip mobile on a thin ligament, without auricles near the ligament, undivided, 0.6— 5 mm long, elliptic to ovate or oblong, sometimes sub-panduriform, glabrous; adaxially with or without two hardly to distinctly converging ridges in approx. flexural position, and with or without two short converging ridges, knobs or teeth close to the base. Column with rostellum front receding in between the stelidia tips, stigma large, without keels inside, proximally not or hardly protruding, column foot tapering towards its top, free part long; approx. without a small median callus just short of the ligament. Stelidia 1/2 of the length of the column or shorter; short but usually not vestigial, approx. semi-elliptic, deltoid to triangular, with a distinct, patent and downwards directed, straight or recurved, semi-elliptic tooth along the lower margin, close to the tip. Anther abaxially with a low, rounded crest, front not concave, front margin drawn out into a small to distinct, semi-circular to triangular beak. Pollinia 2, or 4, with the inner half as long as the outer or shorter (longer in Bulbophyllum bigibbum); without appendages.
Distribution
New Guinea: 7 taxa. Altogether 8 accepted taxa (36 names): New Guinea, West Pacific; Australia .
Notes
Revised in Vermeulen (1993: 176).
The following taxa in this program belong to this Section:
Bulbophyllum bigibbum
Bulbophyllum cavibulbum
Bulbophyllum cylindrobulbum
Bulbophyllum laxum
Bulbophyllum manobulbum
Bulbophyllum ochroleucum
Bulbophyllum posticum