Spathoglottis parviflora Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16 (1892) 18, 13
Type: Hellwig 328 (holo B, lost)
Rhizome very short. Pseudobulbs clustered, 3-5-leaved, ovoid to conical, small, c. 2 by 1.25 cm, covered with the persistent fibrous leaf-sheaths; internodes regularly spaced. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1-9 cm long, 0.2-0.5 cm wide when flattened; blade narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 12-31.5 by 0.4-1.2 cm, firm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, erect, to 60 cm long; peduncle to 18.5-51 cm long, 0.2-0.4 cm diam.; peduncle-scales 2-4; rachis usually shorter than peduncle, puberulous, few- to several-flowered. Floral bracts loosely spreading to deflexed, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.9-2.9 by 0.4-1.25 cm, puberulous. Pedicel with ovary with dense short hairs. Flowers c. 2.5 cm diam. Median sepal elliptic to oblong-obtuse, to 1.8 by 0.8 cm, pubescent outside. Lateral sepals elliptic, to 1.8 by 0.55 cm, keeled and pubescent outside. Petals elliptic to ovate, to 1.7 by 0.8 cm, glabrous, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, 1.1-1.25 by 1.4-1.8 cm between tips of lateral lobes when flattened; callus deeply bilobed, lobes apically semi-circular and somewhat rounded, 0.03-0.18 cm tall, 0.15-0.35 cm wide, with few apical hairs, laterally at the base and in front of the base pubescent; lateral lobes making an angle ofless than 90 degrees with the mid-lobe, narrowly falcate-oblong, 0.8-0.9 cm long, at base 0.4-0.5 cm wide, apex obtuse; mid-lobe 1 cm long, not clawed, spathulate to flabelliform, 0.4-0.5 cm wide at the base, 1 cm wide at broadest part, apex truncate, emarginate or subobtuse. Column erect, slightly curved, 0.8 cm long. Fruit cylindrical, 2-3 cm long, 0.9-1 cm, diam., pubescent to glabrescent (After Howcroft, 1992).
Colours: Flower pink to reddish purple, basal 2/3 of the lip yellow to light orange with white hairs, tip rose-pink, lateral lobes with paler pink tips; callus yellow. Column pink with darker tip.
Habitat: Terrestrial in dry and swampy subalpine grassland, also in fire-induced grassland, limestone cliffs, banks and other disturbed open places; 759 to 3600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 652-47M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, requires light position.