Liparis cyclostele Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 212
Type: Schlechter 19301 (syn B, lost; iso BO, L 2x, NSW, S); s.n. (V-1909) (syn B, lost)
Epiphytic, branched, 13-20 cm high. Rhizome elongated, branched, slender; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs 2-3 cm apart, stem-like, swollen at the base, somewhat compressed towards the apex, 2-3 cm long, at the base 0.3-0.5 cm diam., 1-leaved. Leaf erect, linear, acute or apiculate, gradually narrowed towards the base, 12-17 cm long, above the middle 0.5-0.6 cm wide, glabrous on both sides. Inflorescence erect, slender, ancipitous, glabrous, without peduncle-scales, as long as the leaf or somewhat shorter; rachis distichous, densely many-flowered, up to 3.5 cm long. Floral bracts ovate, acute, ancipitous-conduplicate, slightly more than half as long as the pedicellate, ovary. Flowers erect-patent, glabrous. Sepals reflexed, elliptic, apiculate, 0.45 cm long. Later sepals oblique. Petals erect, subfalcate-oblique, linear-spathulate, obtuse, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base broadly quadrate, geniculate-decurved, as long as the petals, 0.25 cm wide at the base, at the base with a subglobose, obtuse, apiculate callus, in front of this with a small double callus, lip in narrowed in the middle and produced into an oblong-quadrate lobed, in front rounded, shortly apiculate, above towards the apex minutely papillose. Column in outline semiglobose, dilated in the middle, contracted at the base, glabrous, less than half as long as the petals. Anther obreniform, broadly obtuse, glabrous. Ovary and pedicel glabrous, c. 0.7 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flowers yellowish green, lip at the base ochre yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 300 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 416-120M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.