Oberonia quadrata Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 165
Type: Schlechter 17199 (syn B, lost); 18215 (syn B, lost; iso BO, L)
Epiphytic, small, many-stemmed, to 9 cm high. Rhizome short or very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems usually crowded, sometimes up to 0.5 cm apart, erect, straight or indistinctly flexuose, 5-7-leaved, entirely covered with the leaf-bases, up to 6 cm long. Leaves obliquely linear, acute, glabrous, free part 1.5-3.5 cm long, at the base o.2-0.25 cm wide. Inflorescence carrying flowers up to the base, erect or slightly curved, relatively laxly many-flowered, up to 3.5 cm long, c. 0.3 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, with subdentate margins, about as long as the ovary or shorter. Flowers patent, minute, glabrous. Sepals broadly ovate, obtuse, almost 0.05 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals obliquely ovate, subacute, a little smaller than the sepals. Lip at the base slightly cordate, quadrate or subquadrate, towards the apex slightly narrowed, apex truncate and very shortly or indistinctly trilobulate, a little longer than the sepals. Column very short, rather thick, glabrous. Anther subreniform, obtuse. Ovary subclavate, glabrous, including the pedicel 0.1 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Whole inflorescence red-brown.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1000 to 1200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 485-299M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.