Taeniophyllum canaliculatum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 506, pl. 87, fig. 145
Type: Lam 1458 (syn BO); 1513 (syn BO)
Stem short, with subulate overlapping scales; roots thin, flattened or subterete, to 13 cm long, 0.1-0.16 cm wide. Inflorescences several-flowered; peduncle 7.5 cm long, setose-muriculate, with c. 3 peduncle-scales; rachis flexuose, setose-muriculate, internodes 0.15 cm long. Floral bracts distichous, very small, shortly triangular, obtusely apiculate, concave, dorsally muriculate, 0.08 cm long. Flowers 1.7 cm long, including the spur. Median sepal lanceolate, at the apex subacute and almost cucullate, slightly concave, 3-nerved, 0.74 by 0.15 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely linear-lanceolate, subobtuse, slightly concave, dorsally slightly thickened, 3-nerved, 0.74 by 0.15 cm. Petals obliquely lanceolate, acute, slightly concave, like the sepals slightly fleshy, 3-nerved, 0.64 by 0.15 cm. Lip spurred, in total 1.7 cm long; blade concave, with slightly recurved apex, 3-lobed, convex below, when flattened ovate, subacuminate, 0.6 cm long, to the tips of the lateral lobes 0.45 cm long, 0.4 cm wide, in the middle fleshy-swollen, in the basal part with a small longitudinal channel delimited by sharp keels which near the base are provided with a tooth, 5-nerved, the outer nerves forked at the base; lateral lobes erect, at the base broad, slightly rounded, at the apex free, porrect, parallel, fleshy, laterally flattened, narrowly triangular, almost 0.05 cm long; mid-lobe porrect, somewhat recurved, conduplicate, 0.23 cm long, the margins near the middle swollen, divergent towards the base, in the apical part conduplicate-contiguous and forming a channel, at the apex connate into a laterally flattened, fleshy, in lateral view triangular apicule; spur pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, elongated, slightly recurved, clavate, slightly laterally flattened, obtuse, 1.1 cm long. Column short, thick, dorsally convex, in front view 3-lobed, to the apex of the rostellum 0.23 cm long; clinandrium strongly concave, suborbicular, stigma lobes much smaller, suborbicular, concave, outside convex; rostellum porrect, divided into two vertical, porrect, laterally flattened, subulate, falcate segments. Pollinia incumbent; stipe spathulate, hyaline; viscidium conspicuous, elliptic; the whole pollinarium slightly more than 0.2 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, in the grooves short and thin muriculate, including the pedicel 0.28 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Roots light green. Flower white, ovary light green.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1420 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 676-31M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.