Spathoglottis paulinae F.Muell., Fragm. 6 (1867) 95
Type: Dallachy s.n. (25-V-1867, Australia, Rockingham's Bay) (holo MEL; iso K)
Rhizome short. Pseudobulbs clustered, 5-7-leaved, ovoid, 4.7 by 4.3 cm, sheathing not persistent, but longer retained at apical internodes; internodes often broadest in the middle part of the pseudobulb. Leaves petiolate; petiole 10.5-31.5 cm long, 0.8-1.4 cm wide when flattened, forming a pseudostem; blade lanceolate, 77-106 by 2.4-5.1 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, erect, 120 cm long; peduncle to 107 cm long, 0.6 cm diam., peduncle-scales 6, sheathing, glabrous, rachis shorter than peduncle, glabrous, many-flowered. Floral bracts lanceolate to elliptic, 1.3-2.5 by 0.5-1 cm, glabrous. Pedicel with ovary 4-5 cm long, slender, glabrous. Flowers c. 2.5 cm diam., porrect. Median sepal obovate, 1.5-1.8 by 0.55-0.83 cm, dorsally keeled at apex, glabrous. Lateral sepals obliquely obovate, 1.3-1.65 by 0.55-0.95 cm, keeled outside, glabrous. Petals obovate to obliquely obovate, 1.36-1.83 by 0.6-1.33 cm, glabrous, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed, 0.9-1.16 by 1.13-1.58 cm between tips of lateral lobes when flattened; callus bilobed, variable, in lateral outline rounded on top or shouldered, 0.03-0.18 cm tall, 0.15-0.35 cm wide, with few or no apical hairs, laterally in front of the base densely to moderately pubescent; lateral lobes making an angle of 37-78 degrees with the mid-lobe, erect and curved forward, usually more than half the total length of the lip, falcate-oblong, ligulate, dilated towards the apex, 0.54-0.91 cm long, at base 0.23-0.25 cm wide, at apex 0.23-0.46 cm wide; mid-lobe 0.51-0.85 cm long, clawed, the claw 0.13-0.38 by 0.13-0.28 cm, without knee-like swelling, without lobules; terminal lobule elliptic, 0.31-0.66 cm wide at broadest part. Column short, slightly to moderately curved, 1 cm long. Fruit cylindrical, 3-4 cm long (excluding the pedicel) 0.8-0.9 cm. (After Howcroft, 1992).
Colours: Flower pale pink to magenta, rarely white, centre of lip (callus, claw and base of mid-lobe) yellow, tip of mid-lobe darker than the petals. Peduncle and rachis pinkish brown. Floral bracts same colour as sepals, sometimes with greenish tips.
Habitat: Terrestrial in grassland and forest, often secondary; 0 to 2230 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Australia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 652-50M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires light position.