Aglossorhyncha galanthiflora

Aglossorhyncha galanthiflora J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 372, pl. 51, 29

Type: Lam 1497 (holo L)

Stem rooting at the base, branched, terete, somewhat laterally compressed above, 30 cm long, internodes up to 2.2 cm long, upper ones shorter. Leaves rather widely patent, when dried rigid, coriaceous-papyraceous, linear, 3-6.25 cm long, 0.35-0.56 cm wide, apical part somewhat contracted, 0.2-1.8 cm long, apex more or less obliquely, obtusely, deeply bilobed, shortly narrowed at base, margins slightly irregular, nerves, especially the midrib, when dried prominent below; sheaths slightly surpassing the internodes, tubular, in cross section elliptic, dorsally keeled, when dried prominently veined, apex opposite the blade with a very short broad tooth. Inflorescence terminal, nodding, 2-flowered. Median sepal subovate-lanceolate,1.55 cm long, 0.43 cm wide, towards the apex gradually narrowed, apex channelled, narrowly obtuse, subulate-apiculate, 3-nerved, midrib dorsally thickened near the apex. Lateral sepals free, at an acute angle, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, 1.57 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, gradually narrowed towards the apex, apex channelled, acute, subulate-apiculate, 3-nerved, outer nerves branched, midrib dorsally prominent. Petals subobliquely ovate-lanceolate, gradually narrowed, acute, conical-apiculate, 3-nerved, 1.55 cm long, 0.45 cm wide. Lip making an obtuse angle with the ovary, strongly concave, cymbiform, margin incurved, thickened above, in about the lower half appressed to the column, with the edge slightly recurved, apex in produced into a laterally compressed-conical, falcate-incurved, narrowly obtuse beak-like tip, lip strongly convex below, longitudinally grooved, 9-nerved, midrib keeled on inside, 1.25 cm long, when flattened ovate, carnose-acuminate, 1.3 cm long, 0.9 cm wide. Column above the base obtusely incurved, making an obtuse angle with the ovary, otherwise straight, club-shaped; dorsally convex, 0.85 cm long, clinandrium deeply hollow, transverse, margin broadly winged, 4-lobed, apical lobes obliquely quadrangular, concave, serrulate, lateral lobes on either side of the stigma triangular, front margin 2-lobulate, denticulate. Anther covered by the filament, cucullate, 0.14 cm wide, quadrangular, contracted at the base, apex shortly rounded-bilobulate, connective laterally compressed-conical. Pollinia 4, obliquely elliptic, strongly compressed, thin, outside slightly convex, inside almost flat, 0.08 cm long. Stigma inverted round-triangular, margin raised, incurved above. Ovary 3-grooved, furfuraceous-finely punctate, 0.65 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)

Colours: Leaf sheaths brownish green. Sepals and petals whitish green, lip and column light green.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1420 m.

Flowering time in the wild: October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 23-5M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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