Bulbophyllum alabastraceum P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 218, fig. 79
Type: NGF (Ridsdale) 31675 (holo K; iso L, LAE)
Small, erect, up to 7.5 cm high. Rhizome short, branched, creeping. Pseudobulbs glabrous, close together, ellipsoid-ovoid, 35 by 2-4 mm, truncate. Leaves yellow green, erect, coriaceous, glabrous, linear-elliptic, 10-15 by 1.5-4 mm, acute, midrib grooved above, prominent below and extending slightly past tip, margin revolute. Inflorescence 1- or 2-flowered, solitary. Peduncles glabrous, slender, 2-3.5 cm long, in fruit up to 6 cm, with 4 tubular, 1.5-5 mm long bracts, all glabrous, obliquely truncate and acute, 1-nerved. Pedicles glabrous, 0.5-1.5 mm long. Ovary conoid-claviform, 1-1.5 by 0.5 mm, 6-grooved. Sepals all connate at base only and lateral sepals adhering at first up to 3/4, later up to 1/2 only. Median sepal finely papillate in basal part of margins only, linear, ovate in basal part, 10-12 mm long, acutish, 3-nerved. Lateral sepals glabrous, linear, boat-shaped, 12-15 by 1.5-2 mm, obtuse, saccate at base, 3-nerved. Lateral petals papillate along margins of narrowed apical part only, ovate-subcaudate, 8 by 2 mm, acute, 1-nerved. Lip papillate above mainly along the slightly thickened margins, finer papillae along rest of lip, mobile, oblong-ligulate, 2.8 by 0.2 mm, subtruncate, at base with 2 erect, elliptic, membranous wings, with a narrow membranous part connate to foot of column. Column short and stout, 1 by 1 mm. Stelidia short and obtuse, 0.1 mm long. Anther obovoid-cucullate, at tip with a membranous upcurved flap, emarginate at base. Pollinia 4, unequal, elliptic. Column-foot short, only slighly curved forward. Capsule not seen. (After van Royen, 1979)
Colours: Flower translucent white.
Flowering time in the wild: March, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea; Papua New Guinea; see map 96-66M.jpg.