Agrostophyllum dischorense Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 260
Type: Schlechter 19657 (holo B, lost); neo: Kalkman 4371 (L) (chosen by Weijnen & de Vogel)
Plant to c. 79 cm long. Stems erect, flattened, 1.2-5.5 cm wide over the leaf sheaths, from base to apex gradually narrowing. Leaf sheath distinctly recurved, rarely appressed to the stem, reaching to the base of the fourth to sixth one above, 8.5-12.7 cm long; with a 5.7-11.5 cm long incision, with a tubular basal part, the lower ones sometimes entirely incised; width of margin to midrib 0.6-0.9 cm; apical margin at the articulation not drawn out into a tooth-like projection. Leaf blade erect-patent, linear, sometimes linear-lanceolate, (6-)12-32.2 by (0.8-)1.1-1.5 cm, index (7.5-)11-26.4; base twisted, upper side of all leaf blades completely turned to one side of the plant; apex slender acute, gradually tapering, its tip equally or unequally bilobed. Inflorescence 25-50 cm long, with 6-10 internodes of which the ones at the base of the inflorescence are up to 9 cm long; partial inflorescences (3-)8-15(-20) per bract first order, arranged in dense, globular tufts, the tufts in the lower part of the inflorescence distinctly moved up the internode for up to 5 cm above the base of the bract first order, those in the apical part in the axil of that bract. Bracts first order when young overtopping the partial inflorescences, even where these are moved up the internode, very narrowly triangular, those at the base of the inflorescence to 6.5 cm long, c. 1 internode long, folded along the midrib, papery, with dark coloured margin, when older slit along the midrib, eventually partly or completely disintegrating into persistent fibres or entirely disappearing. Partial inflorescences free if the bract first order is decayed, or laterally emerging from the slit or from between the fibres of (the apex of) the bract first order; each 1-flowered,with 4 bracts second order of which the lowest 3 are sterile; axis c. 0.15 cm long. Bracts second order 0.3-0.85 cm long. Flowers widely open; mentum pronounced, obtuse, c. 0.2 cm long. Pedicel and ovary c. 0.65 cm long. Median sepal concave, ovate, not recurved, c. 0.45 by 0.25 cm, index c. 1.8; apex acute; nerves 5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Lateral sepals asymmetric, connate at the base, not recurved, 0.6-0.7 cy 0.3-0.33 cm, index 2-2.3; apex acuminate; nerves 3-5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Petals slightly asymmetric at the base, ovate, 0.4-0.43 by 0.15-0.17 cm, index 2.4-2.9; apex acute to obtuse with acute tip; 3-nerved. Lip c. 0.7 cm long. Hypochile saccate, c. 0.2 by 0.15 by 0.15-0.2 cm, inside with 5 swollen ribs; base deeply saccate; lateral lobes high, in front broadly rounded, sometimes curved; callus far overtopping the lateral lobes, papillate, its apex curved to the front, distinctly bilobed with narrow, ligulate lobes. Epichile convex, ovate to orbicular, c. 0.5 by 0.45 cm, index c. 1.1; margin hardly curved upwards, irregularly indented, not undulate; apex acuminate, curved backwards, median at the base with two high longitudinal calli. Column widened around the stigma, excluding column foot and anther 0.2-0.23 by 0.23-0.25 cm; in front just below the stigma depressed but without cross-groove and median with a hardly thickened, longitudinal band which continues on the column foot; laterally on either side with a ridge which is next to the stigma drawn out into a triangular, arm-like, outwards-pointing lobe; column foot broad, c. 0.15 by 0.15-0.2 cm, tapering to the apex. Anther about globose, c . 0.08 by 0.09 cm, with a thickened longitudinal ridge on apex. Pollinia obovoid, 0.05-0.08 by c. 0.02 cm. Stigma in outline about rectangular, broader than long, c. 0.1 by 0.15-0.2 cm, with on either side near the apex a lateral depression; rostellum folded to the front, median notched or saccate. Fruit with perianth and column on apex persistent; body c. 0.85 by 0.15 cm. Seeds not seen. (After Weijnen and De Vogel, unpublished).
Colours: Flowers white, lip with yellow spot in the centre.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1300-1600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, June, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 24-31M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.