Peristylus maingayi (King & Pantl.) J.J.Wood & Ormerod in T.E.Beaman et al., Orchids Sarawak (2001) 368
Basionym: Habenaria maingayi
Terrestrial herb to c. 50 cm tall. Tuber oblongoid, c. 1.8 cm long, 0.9 cm diam. Stem very short, with c. 3 leaves. Leaves almost radical, 7 by 3.2 cm, horizontally spreading, oblong, acute, apiculate. Inflorescence c. 45 cm tall, laxly many-flowered, with the flowers spirally arranged; rachis angular, c. 11 cm long. Ovary appressed to the rachis, 1.2 cm long. Floral bract lanceolate, acuminate. Median sepal 0.7 by 0.3 cm, oblong-ovate. Lateral sepals 0.6 cm long, obliquely lanceolate, subfalcate, with somewhat recurved apex. Petals 0.73 cm long, oblong, gradually narrowed towards the apex. Lip 0.6 cm long, at base adnate to the column and the petals, 3-lobed; lateral lobes 0.35 cm long, strongly divergent, linear-lanceolate, subfalcate, with incurved, acuminate apex; mid-lobe much smaller, 0.2 cm long, apex incurved; spur small, 0.15 cm long, curved towards the front, ovoid, constricted at the base, apex acute. Column very short, on either side with a small warty auricle that is adnate to the lip; anther obtuse, with the thecae close together, stigmata small, adnate to the auricles and the base of the lip; pollinia with rather long caudicle. (After Smith, 1905, as Peristylus candidus J.J.Sm.)
Colours: Flower pure white, spur green.
Habitat: Terrestrial in grassland and on swampy ground; 793 to 1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, April, May.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, ?Philippines), Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 542-172M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial.