Taeniophyllum cymboglossum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 503, pl. 86, fig. 142
Type: Lam 1085 (holo BO, spirit material)
Stem short, covered with scales; roots elongated, creeping, flattened, 55 cm long, 0.2-0.3 cm wide. Inflorescences short, few-flowered; peduncle filiform, 1.2-1.9 cm long, in the basal part with a few peduncle-scales; rachis short, slightly thickened, glabrous, 0.4 cm long, across the bracts almost 0.3 cm wide, internodes 0.08 cm long. Floral bracts distichous, patent, along the apical margins widely patent, concave, dorsally convex, near the apex obtusely keeled, subulate-apiculate, dorsally almost 0.1 cm long. Flowers including the spur 1.7 cm long. Sepals and petals divergent, the sepals outside slightly finely warty. Median sepal lanceolate, obtuse, dorsally shortly conical-apiculate, slightly concave, 3-nerved, 0.75 by 0.2 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, obtuse, slightly concave, dorsally slightly concave, 3-nerved, 0.75 by 0.23 cm. Petals obliquely lanceolate, obtuse, slightly concave, dorsally thickened, 3-nerved, 0.7 by 0.18 cm. Lip spurred, including the spur 1.5 cm long; blade 3-lobed, laterally flattened-channelled, fleshy, 5-nerved, the nerves outer branched, all merging in the apical part, when flattened ovate, triangular-acuminate, 0.6 by 0.45 cm; lateral lobes erect, thin, at the base broad, slightly rounded, at the apex hardly produced, slightly obtusely tooth-like; mid-lobe porrect, fleshy, laterally flattened, in outline triangular, 0.25 by 0.2 cm, in cross-section triangular, largely hollow, the cavity covered with a horizontal, at the base triangular-notched membrane, with erect, narrow, very thin margins, otherwise flat above, keeled below, the keel rather finely warty, prolonged beyond the apex, obtuse; spur elongated, pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, slightly recurved, clavate, slightly laterally flattened, obtuse, 0.93 cm long. Column short, thick, truncate, dorsally and along the sides convex, 0.17 cm long; clinandrium deeply concave, suborbicular; stigma lobes longitudinal, narrow, deeply concave; rostellum large, prominent, almost hammer-shaped, slightly surpassing the column, in total 0.2 cm long, the front part divided into two parallel, straight, oblong, obtuse, underneath concave segments, dorsal part long subulate, acute, concave below. Anther cucullate, rounded-quadrangular, when not flattened 0.15 cm long; beak very long, linear, channelled below, near the middle strongly recurved, at the apex abruptly triangular-acuminate, tip sharply acute; pollinia somewhat unequal, obliquely subelliptic, outside convex; stipe elongated, spathulate, geniculate-curved, in the apical part cucullate-inflexed, the basal part very thin; viscidium very long, linear-lanceolate, 0.25 cm long, parallel to the stipe, the pollinarium slightly more than 0.3 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, in the grooves furfuraceous, 0.4 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Rachis and bracts pale green. Flower yellow, spur pale yellow, column yellowish white; ovary pale yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 676-56M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.