Malaxis grandiflora (J.J.Sm.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 24 (1970) 80
Basionym: Microstylis grandiflora
Rhizome creeping, elongated, rooting, entirely covered with overlapping sheaths, roots pubescent. Stems distant, erect, 6.5-7 cm long, c. 7-leaved, lower leaves with a hardly developed blade. Leaves erect-patent, obliquely elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, sometimes subovate, acuminate, acute, minutely undulate, the 3-5 main nerves curved, dorsally prominent, to 7-7.5 cm long, 2.4-2.7 cm wide; petiole broad, including the sheath to 3.4 cm long. Inflorescence erect, laxly many-flowered, peduncle angular, slightly over 10 cm long, with a small bract-like scale, rachis angular, 11-18 cm long. Floral bracts reflexed, lanceolate-triangular, acute, concave, 1-nerved, 0.75 cm long. Flowers large for the genus, turned to all sides, in rehydrated herbarium material 1.5 cm long. Median sepal pointing downwards, oblong, slightly dilated towards the apex, obtuse, convex, 5-nerved or almost so, 0.9 by 0.4 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely reflexed, obliquely elliptic-oblong, in the apical part slightly dilated, strongly convex, with recurved apex, obtuse, 0.77 by 0.43 cm. Petals reflexed, ligulate, obtuse, retuse, convex, 3-nerved, hardly more than 0.8 cm long, 0.25 cm wide. Lip large, erect, convex, below concave except for the convex base, with two auricles, weakly 3-lobed, pit rather large, somewhat raised, margins thickened, U-shaped, the arms decurrent on the convex apical part of the lip, on either side of the pit with a convex rib, mid-rib thickened in the middle, lip in the middle 5-ribbed, 3-nerved, above the base 5-nerved, outer nerves strongly branched, when flattened in outline 5-angled, not including the auricles almost semi-orbicular, 0.8 cm long, in total slightly over 1 cm long, 0.9 cm wide, narrowed into the mid-lobe; lateral lobes rounded, shortly triangular-(towards the base wavy)dentate, on either side with c. 7-8 teeth; mid-lobe somewhat incurved, triangular, obtuse, very shortly obtusely bidentate, 0.24 cm long, 0.3 cm wide; auricles rather short, widely separated, obliquely triangular, acute or obtuse, 0.2 cm long. Column dorsally compressed, apex dilated, in outline oblong-quadrangular, 0.3 cm long, clinandrium concave, making an obtuse angle with the basal part of the column, wings divergent, obtuse, more or less retuse; rostellum as long as the wings, broad, retuse, lobules obtuse; stigma angular. Anther erect, reniform, narrowed towards the apex, obtuse, emarginate, 0.13 cm wide. Ovary pedicellate, , slightly sigmoid, 6-ribbed, 0.7 cm long. Fruit erect. (After Smith, 1917)
Colours: Flowers green.
Habitat: Terrestrial in montane forest.
Flowering time in the wild: December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 431-157M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.