Vrydagzynea novaguineensis J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 39
Basionym: Vrydagzynea papuana
Stem at the base creeping, rooting, ascending, terete, 0.38 cm diam., with a few cataphylls and c. 3 leaves. Leaves obliquely ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3.1-5.8 by 1.3-1.9 cm, acute, at the base obliquely rounded to cuneate, with crisped margin, mid-rib grooved above, keeled below; petiole channelled, including the short tubular sheath 0.6-1.6 cm long. Inflorescence erect, densely many-flowered, cylindrical, glabrous; peduncle terete, 3.5 cm long, with 1 small, bract-like, appressed peduncle-scale; rachis 3 cm long. Floral bracts linear-triangular, acute, concave, 1-nerved, to 1.2 cm long, the upper ones smaller. Flowers turned to all sides, 0.3 cm wide, 0.73 cm long. Median sepal oblong, at the apex long contracted and fleshy-swollen, when flattened 0.43 by 0.18 cm, obtuse, strongly concave, 1-nerved. Lateral sepals patent, divergent, strongly cucullate-concave, broadly obliquely oblong, 0.3 cm long, along the front margin 0.4 cm long, when nearly flattened almost 0.2 cm wide, apical part outside strongly fleshy-swollen and finely warty, broadly obtuse, at the base in front dilated into a lobe that is appressed to the base of the spur, 1-nerved. Petals cohering with the median sepal and in the apical half along their inner margins cohering with each other, shorter than the median sepal, obliquely oblong, slightly falcate, 0.35 by 0.18 cm, in basal half unequal-sided, narrower along the back margin, in upper half at the back abruptly lobed-dilated and cohering, at the apex in front abruptly shortly contracted and thickened, truncate, concave, 1-nerved. Lip including the spur 0.7 cm long, blade making an obtuse angle with the spur, 3-lobed, at the base contracted, 1-nerved, to the apex of the ovary 0.3 cm long, surpassing the column; lateral lobes basal, very small, short, erect, appressed to the column, obtusely triangular, inside convex, outside concave; mid-lobe suborbicular, when not flattened 0.24 cm wide, with fairly narrow incurved-erect margins, concave, at the apex shortly obtusely incurved-cucullate-apiculate, longitudinal keel conspicuous, low at the apex, thickened in the middle, at the base bilobulate, with the lobules decurrent on the lateral lobes, in the basal part of the blade with a longitudinal concavity; spur pointing downwards, parallel with the ovary, straight, somewhat dorsally flattened, in cross-section elliptic, oblong-ovate, to the apex of the ovary 0.4 cm long, 0.2 cm wide, gradually narrowed towards the apex, obtuse; in the middle with two stalked, globose glands projecting to near the apex of the spur. Column making an almost right angle with ovary, obtusely incurved, dorsally convex, towards the base somewhat narrowed, with raised margins, channelled, 0.24 cm long, basal part in front with an oblong-linear swelling; clinandrium obliquely truncate, deeply concave, with a conspicuous longitudinal rib decurrent on the rostellum; rostellum ligulate; stigma-lobes 2, porrect, parallel, oblong, obtuse. Anther cucullate, 0.18 cm long, with the basal fourth inserted in the clinandrium, curved, cordate, acute, membranous, connective ribbed-thickened, the rib near the apex abruptly terminating with a rounded end; pollinia 2, 0.2 cm long, clavate, split, sectile, with elongated caudicles and very small triangular viscidium. Ovary twisted, 0.55 cm long, glabrous, 6-grooved, the grooves in approximate pairs. (After Smith, 1929, as Vrydagzynea discolabris J.J.Sm.)
Colours: Floral bracts green, flowers white.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest; 0 to 1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, February, April, August, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 725-29M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.