Corybas sexalatus J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 339, pl. 41, 2
Type: Lam 1779 (holo BO)
Plant in total 2.7 cm high. Tuber subglobose, long pilose, 0.38 cm diam. Subterraneous stem somewhat thickened, terete, covered with terete, long pilose tubercles, 0.7 cm long, with similarly pilose stolons which terminate in a new tuber. Stem above the ground glabrous, angled by the decurrent midrib of the leaf, 0.65 cm long; near the base with a tubular, long acuminate, 0.4 cm long sheath. Leaf sessile, margin and apex recurved, cordate, acutely acuminate, basal lobes rounded, 3-nerved, midrib keeled below, including the lobes 0.75 cm long, 0.45 cm wide. Floral bracts dilated at the base, concave, subulate-acuminate, 0.25 cm long. Flower erect, 0.9 cm long. Median sepal erect, strongly incurved, covering the lip, strongly concave, 3-nerved, outer nerves forked at the base, outside in the basal part 5-, above irregularly many- (to 15-)ribbed, ribs irregularly marginate, crenulate, when flattened oblong-subspathulate, obtuse, apex irregularly marginate, 1.25 cm long, at the base 0.34 cm, near apex 0.47 cm wide. Lateral sepals very small, incurved, basal part obliquely triangular, subulate-acuminate, 0.15 cm long, about 0.05 cm wide. Petals small, incurved, obliquely subulate, acute, channelled, 1-nerved, 0.3 cm long, 0.08 cm wide. Lip erect, strongly recurved, basal margins touching, tubular, at the base with two spurs, apex 3-lobed, 0.76 cm, including the spurs 0.84 cm long, when flattened suborbicular, without spurs 0.85 cm long and wide, lateral lobes cohering along their basal margin, strongly falcate-triangular, obtuse, concave, outside towards the apex verruculose, mid-lobe much smaller, strongly recurved, apical margin incurved, lacinulate, at the base channelled, transversely elliptic, broadly rounded, 0.35 cm wide; spurs divergent, conical, somewhat compressed, narrowly obtuse, about 0.25 cm long. Column erect, short, 0.2 cm long, somewhat curved, dorsally convex, near the base with a conspicuous, transverse, equilaterally trapeziform, dorsally compressed callus. Anther erect, roof-shaped with obtuse angles, apex deeply bilobulate, lobes triangular. Pollinia very small. Stigma orbicular, margin raised, concave. Ovary narrowly 6-winged, 0.4 cm long, wings lacinulate. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Stem and roots white. Leaf light green. Flower violet, median sepal longitudinally striped violet.
Habitat: Terrestrial in upper montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 3200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 178-114M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, keep in shade.
Note: One of the very few species of Corybas in New Guinea that are know to be widely (if sporadically) distributed.