Malleola palustris (J.J.Sm.) J.J.Sm. & Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 981
Basionym: Saccolabium palustre
Stem pendent, elongated and wavy, to 18 cm long, internodes 0.8-1 cm long. Leaves widely patent, half-twisted at the base, narrowly lanceolate, obliquely obtuse, with a tooth-like mucro, above on either side of the mid-rib convex, carnose-coriaceous, not shiny, 4-6.7 by 0.8-1.2 cm; mid-rib grooved above, when dried prominent below; sheaths tubular, keeled, not shiny, about as long as the internodes. Inflorescences deflexed, perforating the sheaths near their base, unbranched, shortly pedunculate, many-flowered, as long as the leaves or often longer, to 10 cm long; rachis angular. Bracts triangular, acute, concave, 0.15-0.2 cm long. Flowers scattered, widely patent, small, 0.6 cm wide, 1 cm long. Median sepal cucullate-concave, incurved, broadly elliptic, obtuse, when flattened 0.3 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely elliptic, subacute, concave, 0.27 by 0.2 cm. Petals obliquely elliptic-ovate, subacuminate, concave, 0.25 by 0.14 cm. Lip spurred, 3-lobed, inside at the base adnate to the column-foot, in total 0.8 cm long; spur large, pendent, making an acute angle with the ovary, straight, subcylindrical, dorsally somewhat compressed, below the apex somewhat constricted, obtuse, inside smooth, 0.73 cm long; lateral lobes porrect, small, as long as the column, triangular, acute, concave, with incurved front margin, 0.14 cm long; mid-lobe revolute, narrowly triangular, acute, 0.16 cm long. Column making an obtuse angle with the ovary, very short, thick, papillose, 0.1 cm long, clinandrium with two teeth. Anther hood-shaped, apex acuminate, incurved. Pollinia 2, globose, dorsally transversely sulcate; stipe slender, in lower half filiform, in the upper part strongly triangular-dilated, clearly broader than the pollinia, apex abruptly acuminate, apical margin recurved, pellucid; viscidium minute; pollinarium in total 0.15 cm long. Rostellum very short. Stigma transverse. Ovary somewhat reflexed, straight, 6-grooved, 0.45-0.55 cm long. (After Smith, 1909)
Colours: Leaves green, more or less tinged dull red, sheaths dull reddish. Rachis pale greenish. Median sepal yellowish, at the base with two brown spots, outside with a few brown dots. Lateral sepals pale yellow, with two broad, interrupted brown stripes. Petals pale yellow, slightly spotted brown. Anther purple, apex white. Pollinia pale reddish yellow. Ovary whitish.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest, also on trees overhanging a stream and in Pandanus and Metroxylon swamps; 26 to 450 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, June, July, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 432-29M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.