Ceratostylis sacculata J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 385, pl. 55, 41
Type: Lam 1920 (holo BO?, not found)
Stems close together, terete, 2.3-6.8 cm long, 0.1-0.13 cm diam., near the base with several imbricating, acute, membranous, somewhat prominently veined, up to 1 cm long sheaths which increase in size upwards. Roots thin, villose. Leaf erect, subulate, acute, with an obtuse channel up to the apex, on either side of the channel convex, on the margins with a slightly raised line, 1.75-2.2 cm long, 0.1-0.16 cm diam.; sheath channeled, at the base tubular, 0.2 cm long. Inflorescences fascicled, few-flowered, peduncle sparsely puberulous, 0.18-0.24 cm long, with two tubular, acute scales. Floral bracts broadly ovate, acute, concave, membranous, 0.15 cm long. Flower 0.37 cm long, 0.27 cm wide. Sepals at the base subparallel, apices recurved. Median sepal oblong-ovate, obtuse, acutely apiculate, at the base somewhat concave, convex, 1-nerved, 0.28 cm long, about 0.1 cm wide. Lateral sepals at the base in front dilated into an obliquely suborbicular, inflated-concave lobule, front margins shortly connate, free part obliquely ovate-oblong, narrowed towards the apex, obtuse, dorsally near the base sparsely pubescent, 1-2-nerved, 0.24 cm long, to the apex of the mentum 0.35 cm long, 0.13 cm wide; mentum shortly saccate, pointing backwards, appressed to the ovary, subobovoid, rounded, at the base contracted, sparsely pubescent, almost 0.1 cm long, 0.12 cm wide. Petals porrect, apex somewhat recurved and convex, in the basal part concave, obliquely narrowly elliptic, gradually acutely acuminate, 1-nerved, 0.24 cm long, about 0.1 cm wide. Lip porrect, above the base obtusely recurved, parallel to and much surpassing the column, somewhat wavy, narrowly oblong, 3-nerved, when flattened 0.36 cm long, 0.13 cm wide, thickened part 0.17 cm long, near apex 0.1 cm wide, below convex, above in the basal part concave, margin ciliolate, 2/5 of upper part carnose-thickened, convex, towards the apex narrowed, obtuse, at the base hollowed out, near the apex strongly papillose, with two parallel, thin, sparsely papillose keels which are almost 1/4 the length of the lip, with a third keel arising from the thickened part, decurrent and soon vanishing. Column to almost near the base bipartite, narrowly U-shaped, 0.13 cm long, arms porrect, parallel, slightly surpassing the anther, obliquely oblong, obtuse, outside convex, inside concave. Anther cucullate, 0.04 cm wide, convex, suborbicular, apex rounded, at the base dilated, 4-lobulate, median lobules smaller. Pollinia 8, pyriform. Column-foot small, making an acute angle with the ovary, in upper half obtusely incurved and free from the later sepals, narrow, linear, 0.07 cm long. Ovary with pedicel terete, pubescent, 0.16 cm long. Fruit (immature seen) 6-ribbed, on the ribs pubescent. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Sepals dull red, petals dull pinkish, lip dull light yellow, column pale yellow, ovary violet, fruit dark violet brown.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-129M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.