Phreatia ganggapensis P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 769, fig. 265, pl. 92
Type: Royen, van 11674 (holo BISH)
Epiphytic, up to 17 cm high herb with creeping, branched rhizome. Rhizome subflexuose, pale yellow, glabrous, covered with membranous, dirty brownish white, 6-20 mm long sheaths. Pseudo-bulbs apart, ovoid, 4.5-6 by 1.5-3 mm, 2-leaved, glabrous. Leaves erect, membranous-fleshy, glabrous, narrowly spathulate, 10-70 by 1,5-6 mm, equally or unequally 2-lobed at tip, each lobe acute or obtuse, apiculate between the lobes by the extended midrib, the latter hardly more distinct than the other 2-6 nerves, all nerves mainly visible on underside, margin erose in apical part; sheaths 8-13 mm long, ribbed. Inflorescences axillary, arising from base of pseudobulbs, 8-17 cm long, at first pendent in apical part, later erect, many-flowered. Peduncle slender, glabrous, 4.5-9.5 cm long, with 5 laxly ad-pressed tubular sheaths mainly in lower half, sheaths 6-11 mm long, the lower ones with an 1-3 mm long limb, upper ones without limbs and gradually passing into the floral bracts. Rachis 4-7.5 cm long, subflexuose, narrowly 3-winged. Floral bracts patent, glabrous, linear-ovate, boat-shaped 3-5 mm long, acute. Pedicels minute, glabrous, 0.1-0.3 mm long, somewhat trigonous. Ovary narrowly obliquely clavate, 1.8-2.3 mm long, slightly 3-winged, the wings indistinctly bullate. Flowers glabrous. Median sepal recurved, ovate, 2.5-2.9 by 0.9-1.2 mm, subacute, 1-nerved, nerve on outside crested. Lateral sepals obliquely broadly ovate-triangular, 2.4-2.7 by 1.9-2.3 mm, apiculate, 1-nerved, nerve crested on outside. Lateral petals obliquely oblong-ovate, 1.6-1.8 by 0.8-1 mm, obtuse or indistinctly apiculate, 1-nerved. Lip 2.2 by 1.6 mm, from an oblong 0.20.3 mm long claw widening into a broadly ovate, 1.8-2 by 1.92.3 mm large limb, claw 2-auricled at base, on upper side in basal part with two elliptic glands, margin of limb crenulate and folded upwards towards column, entire lip 3-nerved. Column short, curved, 1.2-1.4 mm long. Column-foot 1 mm long, slightly flattened, curving forward. Anther sagittate-cucullate, 0.6 by 0.5 by 0.2 mm, subacute, base cordate. (After van Royen 1979)
Colours: Flowers white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 2250 to 3200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: June, August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 549-82M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.