Bulbophyllum erinaceum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 879
Type: Schlechter 20235 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, L)
Rhizome creeping, 0.7-1.5 mm diam. Roots spreading. Pseudobulbs discoid to ovoid, 0.1-1.5 cm apart, 0.1-0.4 by 0.1-0.25 cm, not laterally flattened. Petiole 2-5 mm. Leaf blade elliptic, 1.5-5 by 0.3-0.8 cm, index 1.5-10, tip acute. Inflorescence usually single, 4.5-32 cm, 7-25-flowered. Peduncle 1.5-21 cm, verrucose; bracts 2-3, the longest 1-4 mm. Rachis erect or arching, sometimes distinctly zigzag bent, 3-11 cm, verrucose. Floral bracts triangular, 1.8-4 mm, tip acuminate, abx. with a distinct, deeply lacerate median keel or not. Pedicel and ovary 3-5 mm, with the node 1.5-2 mm from the floral bract; surface verrucose or not. Flowers scattered, 1 or few open at the time, widely opening. Median sepal ovate to elliptic, 2.1-3.5 by 2.1-3 mm, index c. 0.7-1.2, tip an incurved, subulate projection 1.7-2 mm long, ending in a thickened, often papillose knob; margins ciliate; rather thin; surface glabrous; abx. with a deeply lacerate median keel. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 1.5-3 by 1.2-2.5 mm, index 1.1-1.6, upper margin glabrous or finely erose, lower ciliate; tip sometimes without a subulate projection, otherwise as the median sepal. Petals often with a claw up to 0.9 mm long; blade orbicular to transversely elliptic, 0.7-1.8 by 1.2-1.8 mm, index 0.6-1, base often subcordate; tip rounded; margins ciliate; thin; surface glabrous. Lip 3-lobed, median lobe straight or recurved towards the tip, general outline ovate, 1.3-2.5 by 0.5-1.2 mm, index 1.6-2.8 (not spread), tip usually incurved, obtuse; margins glabrous; very thick; adx. concave and with a thin median ridge near the base, which continues into a median slit up to approx. half-way the lip, bordered by 2 more ridges which in front converge and in the back protrude as lobes, surface glabrous but somewhat papillose around the median slit; abx. without a median ridge, surface finely papillose; basal lobes with the frontal margins converging over the adaxial surface of the lip; forwards pointing, falcate, (narrowly) triangular, tip obtuse; glabrous; thin. Column from ovary to the tip of the stelidia 0.8-1.2 mm; stigma somewhat protruding at its base, orbicular; column-foot without accessories. Stelidia straight or falcate, narrowly triangular, 0.2-0.5 mm; tip acute; with or without a small, obtuse to acute tooth along the upper margin and with distinct, falcate, narrowly triangular tooth along the lower margin. Anther abx. with a ridge towards its base; front margin not protruding. (After Vermeulen, 1993)
Colours: Plant light green. Rachis and flowers dark purple. Sepals dark green or purple, with dark purple to almost black hairs and tip. Petals sometimes a paler purple. Lip purple, blackish at the tip.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1000-2300 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, April, September, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-597M.jpg.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.