Bulbophyllum ellipticifolium J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 18 (1935) 60, pl. 12, fig. 39
Type: Docters van Leeuwen 10147 holo BO; iso L sterile)
Rhizome elongated, pendulous or patent, branched, only rooting at the base, c. 32 cm long; internodes 0.6-1.8 cm long; tubular, with soon disintegrating sheaths. Roots rather thick, near the base of the rhizomes. Pseudobulbs c. 1.5-5 cm apart, turned to all sides, making an acute angle with the rhizome, when dried as thick as the rhizome, subterete, c. 2.3-2.8 cm long; 1-leaved. Leaf elliptic to oblong-elliptic, obtuse, apiculate, when dried coriaceous, in total c. 5.75-9.25 by 1.8-3.8 cm; base narrowed into a short, contracted, 0.3-0.5 cm long petiole; midrib dorsally prominent; nerves several, thin, curved, when dried above and underneath prominent. Inflorescences from the nodes of the rhizome, fascicled; peduncle c. 1.3 cm long; with few small, at the base tubular scales. Floral bract tubular, 0.33 cm long. Flower large for the section, c. 2 cm long. Median sepal ovate-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to the apex, acute, concave, 5-nerved, somewhat fleshy, c. 1.95 by 0.6 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, falcate, shortly acute, slightly concave, c. 6-nerved, somewhat fleshy, c. 2.1 by almost 0.7 cm; base somewhat narrow; front margin narrowly incurved. Petals very small, porrect, vertical, appressed to the column, elliptic-rhombiform, 1-nerved, slightly more than 0.3 by 0.2 cm; papillose along the margin; apex obtuse, inside papillose; nerve dorsally slightly thickened, to the apex distinctly so. Lip minute, mobile, surpassing the column, slightly recurved, simple, fleshy, glabrous, in outline ovate, the 2/5 upper part gradually contracted, subterete, obtuse, 0.35 by almost 0.2 cm; base truncate, lower part with patent-erect margins, inside convex, outside concave, broadly channelled; underneath longitudinally grooved. Column straight, rather slender, 0.35 cm long; clinandrium hollow, back wall shortly and widely elongated, obtuse,2-lobed; stelidia obliquely quadrangular, extended in a subulate, straight, rather long projection which is as about as long at the anther. Stigma small, longitudinal, oblong; column-foot making an obtuse angle with the ovary, incurved, oblong-linear, truncate, apex free from the lateral sepals. Anther cucullate, laterally compressed, obtuse; connective longitudinally strongly convex-thickened, 0.14 cm long. Ovary terete, 6-grooved, 0.4 cm long; pedicel elongated, 4.4 cm long, 0.25 cm above the base articulate. (After Smith, 1935)
Colours: Flower egg yolk-yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 175-250 m.
Flowering time in the wild: August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-579M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.