Corybas mankiensis P.Royen, Phanerog. Monogr. 16 (1983) 54, fig. 11 a
Type: Howcroft 139 (holo BISH; iso LAE)
Small, up to 5 cm high terrestrial. Tuber ellipsoid, 0.5 by 0.3 cm. Stem 2.3 cm long, 3-ribbed, glabrous. Cataphyll tubular, 0.45 cm long, acute, 1-nerved, glabrous. Leaves narrowly ovate, 2.6 by 1.4 cm, falcate-caudate, at the base cordate but cuneate at the very base, mid-rib flat above, prominent below mainly in basal part, basal nerves 2 on either side of mid-rib, both pairs reaching tip of leaf, cross-veins 6-9 on either side of mid-rib, branched, connected to the inner basal nerve, venation widely reticulate, margin slightly wavy; pellucid lenticelled along the margins only. Pedicel none. Floral bract linear, boat-shaped, 1 by 0.1 cm, filiform in apical part, glabrous. Ovary falcate-claviform, 0.3 by 0.1 cm, 6-ribbed, glabrous. Median sepal narrowly obovate, boat-shaped, 3.2 by 0.6 cm, caudate, curved but apical part pointed upward again, 3-nerved at the base, 11-nerved on hood, mid-rib on outside crested along entire length, margin erose in apical part only. Lateral sepals and petals linear, widened at the base, boat-shaped, about 4.7 cm long, filiform in apical part, sigmoid-porrect. Lip from a 0.4-0.7 cm long, obliquely funnel-shaped base abruptly curved downward and widened into an orbicular, 1.5 by 1.5 cm large blade, 3-nerved at the base, many-nerved near margin, obtuse; margin crenulate-erose in apical half, sub-fimbriate at very tip; boss semiglobose; finely papillate on inside on boss only; spurs spreading sideward, conoid, 0.4 cm long. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1983).
Colours: Leaves dark green with pink and silver nervation, paler green along mid-rib. Median sepal pale brown and pink, darkening with age. Lateral sepals and petals pale brown and pink. Lip maroon with a large white boss in throat with faint pink marks on boss.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Altitude 1300 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 178-75M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.