Diplocaulobium pulvilliferum

Diplocaulobium pulvilliferum (Schltr.) A.D.Hawkes, Lloydia 20 (1957) 129.

Basionym: Dendrobium pulvilliferum.

Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs crowded, 1-leaved, slender, to the base obclavate, 3.5-11 by 0.6-0.8 (at the base) to 0.15-0.2 cm (near the apex). Leaves ligulate, 6-9 by 1-1.6 cm, base cuneate, apex subacute, bilobulate. Inflorescences arising in succession from the apex of the pseudobulb, 1-flowered, spathe laterally compressed, c. 2 cm long, obtuse. Pedicel and ovary 5 cm long, slender, glabrous. Flower resupinated, c. 8 cm wide. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, narrowing to the elongated apex, 4.25 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, narrowing to the elongated apex, 4.25 cm long; mentum 0.6 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely linear, narrowing to the elongated apex, c. 4 cm long. Lip weakly 3-lobed in the middle, 1.4 by 0.5 cm, with two parallel pubescent keels extending from the base to the apical third, in front of the keels with a farinose-puberulous elliptic-lanceolate callus which extends from the middle to just below the apex, callus at base and at apex acute; lateral lobes hardly developed, broadly rounded; midlobe oblong-elliptic, margins strongly undulate-crenate, subapiculate. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the median lobule triangular, the laterals shorter, denticulate; column-foot 0.6 cm long. Anther suborbicular-cucullate, glabrous, in front truncate, at the back with a small hump.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

Colours: Flowers reddish white with brown tips to the sepals and petals, lip white, lateral lobes with dark red veins and margins, callus yellow.

Habitat: Epiphyte in hill forest. Altitude 350 to 900 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Throughout the year.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Morobe, Central, and Oro Provinces).

Notes: Should be compared with Diplocaulobium aratriferum.

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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