Peristylus listeroides (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26 (1971) 177
Basionym: Habenaria listeroides
Terrestrial, erect, very slender, 60-75 cm high, unbranched; roots elongated, flexuose, shortly villose. Stem straight or nearly straight, terete, glabrous, below the middle [i.e. just below the peduncle] with two closely spaced leaves, at the base covered with a few distant sheaths. Leaves patent, broadly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, with thin margins, 5.5-9 by 2.8-5.3 cm. Peduncle with several lanceolate, acuminate, distant scales; rachis laxly many-flowered, elongated, secund, to 25 cm long. Floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, less than half as long as the ovary. Flowers glabrous. Median sepal oblong, obtuse, 0.3 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, distinctly apiculate, as long as the median sepal. Petals obliquely rhombic-ovate, obtuse, in basal fourth along the anterior margin adnate to the lip, as long as the median sepal. Lip 3-lobed to below the middle, as long as the petals as long; lateral lobes divergent, linear, obtuse, c. 0.35 cm long; mid-lobe ovate-triangular, obtuse, about half as long as the lateral lobes; at the base of the with a small tooth-like callus, spur pendent, slightly incurved, cylindrical, slightly dilated above the middle, at the apex subacute, 0.35 cm long. Rostellum small, triangular; stigmatophores clavate, longer than the anther channels; staminodes rounded, about as large as the locules of the anther. Anther notched at the apex, anther channels very short, suberect. Ovary cylindrical, at the apex rostrate, c. 1 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flowers green.
Habitat: Terrestrial in (lower) montane forest; 1200 to 2700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, June, August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 542-86M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.