Bulbophyllum digoelense J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 45 (1911) 10
Type: Bogor cult. (Branderhorst (1909)) 23 b
Rhizome creeping, terete, entirely covered with sheaths. Pseudobulbs obliquely ovoid, distally longitudinally grooved, green c. 1.2-3 cm apart,, c. 1.75-2.1 by 1.1-1.3 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf petiolate, lanceolate, very shortly acute-acuminate, convex, rigidly fleshy; base gradually narrowed into the petiole; margins acute; upper surface grooved on either side of the midrib, midrib underneath obtusely prominent, c. 7.75-14 by 1.65-2.85 cm; petiole conduplicate-channelled, c. 1.5-2.5 cm long. Inflorescences from the base of the pseudobulbs, ascending, elongated, producing several flowers with intervals; peduncle thin, c. 30 by 0.1 cm, with c. 4 small, tubular sheaths; rachis short. Floral bracts distichous, obliquely funnel-shaped, acute-acuminate, keeled, semitransparent, 0.7 cm long. Flowers large. Median sepal narrowly ovate-lanceolate, gradually narrowing, acuminate, concave, somewhat shiny, c. 3.6 by 0.83 cm; nerves c. 7, connected by transverse veins. Lateral sepals obliquely narrowly lanceolate-triangular, gradually narrowing, acuminate, concave, c. 3.6 by 1.1 cm at the base. Petals very small, quadrangular, in total 0.95 by 0.23 cm, to the apex lateral tooth 0.25 cm long; apex 3-dentate, the lateral teeth triangular, acute, sparsely denticulate, the median tooth elongated, filiform. Lip large, mobile, 3-lobed, elongated, straight, rather flat, with a longitudinal groove, linear-lanceolate, acute-acuminate, c. 2.7 cm by 0.67 cm over the lateral lobes; base fleshy, concave, laterally with basal, minute, erect, falcate-incurved, triangular, acute or bidentate lateral lobes, between the lateral lobes papillose; basal 1/4th with 4 wavy-crenulate keels of which the outer 2 are higher than ther inner and converge towards the median groove of the lip, the inner parallel and close together; margins densely and irregularly crenate-lobulate; crest of all keels verrucose. Column rather large, broad, 0.7 by 0.43 cm at the base, the margins indistinctly winged, stigma very large, deeply concave, more or less semi-orbicular, its base with two antrorse, slightly protruding teeth, stelidia triangular, denticulate, exceeding the anther in length,; column-foot porrect, its base and apex curved, linear, much narrower than the column, its base 2-ribbed, 0.85 by 0.18 cm in the middle. Anther cucullate, obtuse, 0.2 cm wide. Pollinia 4, elliptic-triangular, 0.13 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.6 cm long; including the pedicel c. 1 cm long, minutely squamuloso-punctate. (modified after Smith, 1911)
Colours: Pseudobulbs green. Leaf green, underneath densely pale punctate. Peduncle dark brown. Floral bracts pale greenish, keel green. Median sepal ochrish-white; nerves purple. Lateral sepals ochrish-white; nerves purple. Petals transparent, the longitudinal stripes and thread purple. Lip dark purple, yellowish at the base. Column-foot purple-marmorate. Anther white, underneath purple. Pollinia yellow. Pedical and ovary pale yellow-green suffused dirty purple.
Habitat: Epiphyte on tall trees in lowland forest; 50-400 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, April.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-516M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.