Corybas cymatilis P.Royen, Phanerog. Monogr. 16 (1983) 64, fig. 14
Type: BW (Vink & Schram) 8978 (holo L; iso BISH)
Small, 1-3 cm high terrestrial. Tuber not seen. Stem 0.5-2.5 cm long, 3-winged, glabrous. Cataphyll tubular, 0.35-0.5 cm long, acuminate, 1-nerved, glabrous. Leaves cordate, 1.2-1.8 by 0.8-1.4 cm, acuminate, at the base truncate-cordate, margin crisped-wavy, mid-rib sunken above, prominent below mainly in basal part, basal nerves 2 on either side of mid-rib, only inner one reaching apex of leaf-blade, outer ending about halfway, cross-veins 3 or 4 on either side of the mid-rib, branched or unbranched, connate to inner basal nerve, venation very sparse; pellucid lenticels mainly along margins. Pedicel 0.15-0.18 cm long, glabrous. Floral bracts linear, 0.5 cm long, widened and boat-shaped at the base, glabrous. Ovary narrowly cylindrical, slightly oblique, 0.4 cm long, 6-winged, glabrous. Median sepal from a narrow, slightly curved, boat-shaped, obcuneate, 0.6-1 cm long claw widening and somewhat stronger curved into a 0.6-0.8 by 0.5-0.7 cm large hood, obtuse, 3-nerved on claw, 11-nerved on hood, all nerves crested on hood only, but mid-rib crested almost along entire length, glabrous. Lateral sepals linear, obliquely widened at the base, subulate in apical part, 1.5-1.7 cm long. Petals linear, obliquely widened at the base, subulate in apical part, 0.9-1.1 cm long. Lip from an almost erect, tubular, 0.7-1 cm long basal part abruptly curved downward and spreading out into an orbicular, 1 by 1 cm large blade, obtuse, margin coarsely fimbriate mainly along apical 3/4, 3-nerved at the base, up to 17-nerved along margin, glabrous; spurs conoid, 0.05-0.1 cm long, obtuse. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1983).
Colours: Leaves very dark blue-green, mid-rib and nerves purple-red, venation light green. Pedicel dark purple red. Floral bracts dark purple red. Median sepal light green with purple-red ribs. Lateral sepals and petals light green with light purple tip. Lip white at tip, otherwise dark purple red.
Habitat: Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 2100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 178-37M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial.