Appendicula biloba J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 22 (1909) 42
Type: Bogor cult. (Exp. Wichmann, Djibdja) 136; [2 scraps without no, 16-III-1909 and 7-VII-1909 in BO]
Terrestrial. Stems erect, curved, unbranched, when older sometimes branched, terete, above in cross section elliptic, in the basal part covered with sheaths, leafy above, c. 85 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm diam., basal part c. 16-32 cm long; sheaths tubular, much longer than the internodes, internodes up to c. 2.2 cm long. Leaves patent, half-clasping the stem, lanceolate, acuminate, apex narrow bidentate, with a mucro that slightly surpasses the teeth, almost plicate, midrib grooved above, keeled below, on either side with c. 3 nerves that are weakly grooved above, prominent below, margin recurved, membranous, somewhat shining above, opaque below, c. 2.5-9 cm long, 0.5-1.6 cm wide; sheaths tubular, in cross section elliptic, much surpassing the internodes. Inflorescence terminal and also lateral from the often defoliated stem, patent, decurved, short pedunculate, sometimes with few branches, flowering for a long time, many-flowered, c. 4.5-5.5 cm long, internodes c. 0.1-0.13 cm long. Bracts distichous, erect-patent, imbricate, cymbiform, ovate, apiculate, c. 7-nerved, c. 0.55 cm long. Flowers c. 1 cm diam. Median sepal decumbent, ovate-ovate, dorsally at the apex acute conical-apiculate, convex, dorsally obtusely keeled, 5-nerved, c. 0.55 cm long, 0.33 cm wide. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-triangular, acutely conical-acuminate, convex, keeled, c. 0.55 cm long, at the base 0.4 cm wide, mentum short, saccate, broadly obtuse, 0.24 cm long. Petals narrowly oblong, apex recurved, obliquely broadly obtuse, convex, 3-nerved, c. 0.55 cm long, 0.17 cm wide. Lip at the base shortly saccate-adnate to the column-foot, shortly clawed, in the basal part undulate and thick fleshy, cuneate, apex dilated, broadly angular-rounded-bilobed, when flattened c. 0.58 cm long, 0.53 cm wide, claw 0.18 cm wide, inside in basal 2/3 part with 2 parallel ribs, in front of the ribs with a single erect, narrow, conical callus, thick carnose, velvety pubescent, in front rounded, towards the base narrowed and with an adnate, projecting, callus-like appendage which is somewhat narrower and shorter than the claw, grooved, bilobed, and glabrous. Column short, broad, apex dilated, c. 0.2 cm long and wide, auricles rounded. Anther cucullate, broadly ovate, at the obtuse apex on either side with a shorter, patent, triangular, acute tooth, dorsally with a longitudinal rib, at the base emarginate, 0.1 cm long. Pollinia 6, unequal, obliquely oblong-pyriform, angular, outside convex, attached to two stipes, the latter slightly connate at the base, spathulate-elliptic, obtuse, concave, much shorter than the pollinia, c. 0.6 mm long, viscidium large, recurved triangular. Rostellum not projecting; broadly notched, shorter than the auricles of the column. Stigma broadly ovate-triangular. Column-foot with the ovary forming an acute angle, straight, short, broad, broadly obtuse, concave, with 4 longitudinal grooves, c. 0.17 cm long. Ovary with pedicel 6-grooved, c. 0.4 cm long.(After Smith, 1909).
Colours: Sepals and petals pale green, lip white, yellowish in the apical part, with pale purple spots; column pale green, at the apex with very dark purple spots, anther very dark purple.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest. Altitude 0 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-19M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial.