Bulbophyllum cerambyx J.J.Sm., Meded. Rijks-Herb. 23 (1915) 12
Type: Janowsky 419 (holo BO)
Rhizome pendulous, flexuous, c. 15 cm long. Roots appressed. Pseudobulbs fairly close together, oblong-subcylindric, obtuse, in total c. 1.4 by 0.5 cm; base perforated by the rhizome; apex free and when dried recurved, 0.65 cm long; underneath except for the apex channelled; 1-leaved. Leaf lanceolate, subobtuse, c. 5-5.5 by 1.15-1.4 cm; base shortly cuneate. Inflorescences from the nodes of the rhizome, fascicled, short, 1-flowered; peduncle short, 0.28 cm long, entirely covered with small membranous sheaths, the upper ones surpassing the ovary. Flowers in the section rather large. Median sepal making an acute angle with the lateral ones, angular-orbicular-elliptic, broadly obtuse, dorsally near the apex shortly conical-apiculate, concave, finely ciliate, fleshy, 0.6 by 0.5 cm; base broad. Lateral sepals decurrent on the column-foot, porrect, the facing margins tightly connate in a quadrangular, strongly concave, underneath almost flat, obliquely oblong, concave, fleshy, 3-nerved, 0.7 by 0.35 cm long synsepal with rounded apex, the outer margins and in front strongly incurved and finely ciliate; synsepal on the outside near the apex with two very long, strongly recurved, (always ?) terete, with the apex a little thickened, c. 3.8 cm long antennae. Petals very small, divergent, ovate-semiorbicular, broadly obtuse, fimbriate-ciliate, somewhat concave, 1-nerved, 0.13-0.13 by 0.18 cm. Lip mobile, erect, somewhat sigmoid, 3-nerved, spathulate, when flattened 0.35 by 0.1 cm wide not counting the cilii; claw oblong, at the base slightly contracted; blade oblong-ovate, obtuse, in front convex, in the basal part long ciliate, cilii to the apex becoming smaller, with glabrous apex, more than two times as long as the claw. Column 0.15 cm long; filament at the base thickened, subulate; stelidia porrect, parallel, with truncate apex, the upper margin with an erect, triangular, acute tooth, the lower margin with a shorter, triangular tooth. Anther cucullate; base bilobed; apex shortly extended and truncate; connective strongly rectangularly crested-thickened and papillose, 0.06 cm wide.; stigma deeply cup-shaped; column-foot almost continuous with the ovary, straight, thick, 0.28 cm long, above with a callus shaped like a Bourbon lily. Ovary obconical, 6-grooved, 0.2 cm long. (After Smith, 1916)
Colours: Median sepal outside purple, inside whitish. Lateral sepals outside purplish, inside white with two broad, purple longitudinal stripes and upper margin pale purple; antennae light yellow. Petals white. Lip light yellow, in the middle with lead-coloured margins. Column white; column-foot with black markings (colour description after a specimen in formalin).
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest.
Flowering time in the wild: June.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-309M.jpg.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.