Oberonia cleistogama Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 170
Type: Schlechter 19938 (holo B, lost; iso BO, L)
Epiphytic, very small, up to 12 cm high. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems short, entirely hidden by the leaf-bases, densely 6-8-leaved. Leaves erect-patent, obliquely lanceolate-ligulate, acute or subobtuse, free parts 1-2.5 cm long, at the base 0.4-0.7 cm wide. Inflorescence erect, pedunculate, rather densely many-flowered, up to 7 cm long, c. 0.35 cm diam. across the flowers; peduncle short, up to 1.5 cm long. Floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, subentire, glabrous, about as long as the ovary. Flowers patent, minute, apparently usually cleistogamous and not opening, glabrous. Sepals very broadly ovate, obtuse, c. 0.04 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals suborbicular-elliptic, obtuse, a little smaller than the sepals, margins irregular. Lip in outline subreniform, as long as the sepals, at the base very broad, 0.04 cm wide, weakly 3-lobed; lateral lobes basal, divergent, semiorbicular, very small; mid-lobe subquadrate-semiorbicular, subretuse, much larger than the lateral lobes. Column very short, rather thick. Anther subreniform. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, c. 0.1 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flowers orange-red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 10 m.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 485-69M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.