Octarrhena cymbiformis J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 488, pl. 81, fig. 129
Type: Lam 1582 (BO, spirit material)
Stem flexuose, c. 4 cm long, rooting at the base, internodes 0.5-0.6 cm long. Leaves erect-patent to patent, articulated, equitant, laterally compressed, partly slightly falcate-slightly recurved, linear, obtuse, carnose, 1.8-2.1 by 0.18-0.2 cm; sheaths tubular, laterally compressed, in cross-section elliptic, longer than the internodes, at the apex truncate, carnose, 0.23-0.3 cm wide. Inflorescences puncturing the sheath dorsally near the base, entirely furfuraceous-finely punctate, surpassing the leaves, 0.58 cm diam. across the flowers; peduncle c. 2.5 cm long, with numerous appressed, at the base broad, subulate-acuminate, small scales; rachis obtusely angular, grooved, 2.1 cm long. Floral bracts appressed, at the base ovate, concave, with irregular margins, very narrowly linear-acuminate, almost 0.2 cm long. Flowers turned to all sides, widely patent and slightly recurved, almost 0.3 cm long. Sepals dorsally furfuraceous-finely punctate. Median sepal recurved, triangular, acute, almost conduplicate-keeled, apiculate, 1-nerved, 0.16 cm long, almost 0.1 cm wide. Lateral sepals porrect, divergent, obliquely subovate, acute, laterally compressed-apiculate, keeled, concave, 1-nerved, 0.18 by 0.13 cm. Petals porrect, appressed to the column, obliquely ovate-triangular, subacuminate, acute, 1-nerved, slightly more than 0.1 cm long, 0.08 cm wide. Lip small, when not flattened shorter than the column, making an obtuse angle with the ovary, strongly incurved, concave, outside convex, narrowly oblong, when flattened 0.16 cm long, slightly more than 0.05 cm wide, acute to shortly obtusely apiculate, 3-nerved, in basal half with two unequal thickenings. Column 0.1 cm long, broad, at the base somewhat narrowed, clinandrium deeply concave, in the obtuse dorsal sinus slightly 3-lobulate, the median lobule short, broad, shortly obtusely incurved-apiculate. Anther cucullate, cordate-triangular, 0.05 cm wide, with retuse basal lobules, narrowed towards the apex, narrowly obtuse. Rostellum porrect, sharply bidentate. Stigma transverse, almost crescent-shaped. Ovary thick, obconical, 0.13 cm long; pedicel very short, 0.07 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Roots yellowish white. Leaves light green. Peduncle greenish yellow with brown bracts. Flowers yellow, column white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in swampy, mossy forest; 1450 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 486-20M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.