Claderia papuana Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 222
Type: Schlechter 17375 (B, lost; E); 19266 (B, lost; E, K, L, NSW)
Terrestrial, long creeping, above the base sometimes 2-branched. Rhizome elongated, covered with close-fitting obtuse sheaths, terete, about 0.5 cm across. Stems 10-20 cm apart, leafy above the base which is covered with a few sheaths, abruptly narrowing above, up to 35 cm high, entirely covered by the striate-nervose leaf-sheaths except for the apical part. Leaves 3-4 in basal part of the stem, not articulate, elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, acuminate, towards the base gradually narrowing into the petiole; blade 20-30 cm long, at or below the middle 3.2-8.5 cm wide; petiole up to 10 cm long. Inflorescence eventually with several branches, congested at the apex of the leafless stem, branches laxly successively few-flowered, densely and shortly puberulous, rachis about 3 cm long. Floral bracts patent, broadly elliptic, obtuse, densely puberulous. Flowers erect or suberect. Sepals oblong, subacute, outside minutely puberulous. Median sepal 2 cm long. Lateral sepals reflexed, falcate-oblique, about 2 cm long. Petals falcate, broadly oblong-spathulate, obtuse, glabrous, 2.2 cm long, above the middle 0.8 cm wide. Lip subquadrate, above the middle 3-lobed, 1.5 cm long, between the lateral lobes 1.9 cm wide; lateral lobes triangular, obtuse, in front truncate-abbreviated; mid-lobe 0.7 cm long, above the base 1.4 cm wide, above the short claw very broadly reniform, in front retuse, with a minute apiculum; from the base of the lip to the base of the mid-lobe with a double, decurrent, acute, puberulous keel, the margins of which merge in front; spur short, globose, apex bilobulate, glabrous, about 0.4 cm long. Column slender, curved, semiterete, outside puberulous, at the base in front adorned with a puberulous callosity, about 1.5 cm long; clinandrium dorsally extended into an obtuse, triangular lobe. Anther reniform-cucullate, in front deeply bilobulate, sparsely covered with small warts. Pollinia of unequal size, united into two obliquely ovoid bodies. Ovary cylindrical, densely and shortly puberulous, together with the short pedicel about 2.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914).
Habitat: Terrestrial in forest, climbing against the base of tree trunks. Altitude 150-450 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, April, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 152-1M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, keep in shade.