Bulbophyllum torquatum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 448, pl. 72, fig. 95
Type: Lam 1473
Epiphyte, very small. Rhizome creeping, branched, rooting. Pseudobulbs close together, very small, elliptic or subovoid, angular, obtuse, in front broadly concave, 0.3-0.43 by 0.2-0.23 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf linear-lanceolate, acute or subobtuse, thinly somewhat fleshy-coriaceous, c. 1.4-1.9 by 0.26-0.3 cm; base gradually narrowed; upper side channelled with the sides convex. Inflorescences from the nodes of the rhizome, fascicled. Inflorescences 1-flowered, filiform, sparsely furfuraceous-puncticulate, its apex obliquely thickened, 0.6-0.75 cm long; at the base with small sheaths. Floral bract obliquely funnel-shaped, keeled, as long as the ovary. Flower very small, 0.48 cm long. Median sepal continuous with the ovary, in basal half concave, beyond convex, oblong, obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.5 by 0.2 cm; base slightly contracted; dorsally minutely dark furfuraceous-puncticulate. Lateral sepals 3-nerved, united in a synsedpalum, almost 0.5 by 0.28 cm; mentum short, rounded, making an almost right angle with the ovary, the facing margins except for the apex connate, ovate, at the base concave, subsaccate, with the apex clasping the column-foot; blade further convex, obliquely lanceolate, slightly acuminate, acute; dorsally minutely dark furfuraceous-puncticulate. Petals porrect, strongly obliquely almost spathulate-lanceolate, sigmoid, subulate-acuminate, concave, 1-nerved, slightly more than 0.3 by 0.12 cm; apex recurved; margins of the median part slightly somewhat erose. Lip mobile, attached by a thin, fairly long ligament, in the middle obtusely angled, recurved, clawed, 3-lobed, 3-nerved, when not flattened 0.24 cm long; in basal half somewhat incurved, when flattened cross-shaped, 0.3 cm long; over the lateral lobes almost 0.2 cm wide; claw quadrangular, with ligament basal slightly more than 0.1 by 0.08 cm; base on either side with a short, backwards pointing, obliquely triangular, obtuse, elongated lobule; above the base with a fairly conspicuous, erect, transversely oblong, somewhat narrower than the claw, in front steep sloping, in 2 small, convex, inconspicuous ribs extending callus, in the back slightly concave with 2 minute, longitudinal, with the apex truncate, slightly retuse ribs; underneath convex; lateral lobes erect, convex, obliquely triangular, obtuse, front margin recurved, with few hairs; mid-lobe porrect, subovate-triangular, obtuse, convex, glabrous, slightly more than 0.13 by 0.1 cm. Column short, below the clinandrium constricted, 0.13 cm long; clinandrium hollow, filament at the base triangular, subulate-filiform; stelidia somewhat shorter then the anther, subulate, slightly falcate-incurved; stigma conspicuous, deeply concave, inversely triangular; column-foot making an almost right angle with the ovary, slightly incurved, rather thick, oblong, truncate, 0.12 cm long. Anther cucullate; base bilobed; apex extended in a wide, deflexed, transversely quadrangular, truncate, in front concave beak; connective high, laterally compressed, gibbose, 0.05 cm wide. Pollinia 4, united in an orbicular-obovate, above convex, underneath concave, 0.04 cm long body, inner ones smaller than the outer ones. Ovary obliquely obconical, 6-grooved, furfuraceous, 0.15 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Pseudobulbs light green. Leaf green, lighter beneath. Sepals and petals white, transparent. Lip and column white, not transparent. Ovary brownish green; pedicel greenish yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1420 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-1852M.jpg.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.