Agrostophyllum dolichophyllum Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 127
Type: Schlechter 14006 (holo B, lost; iso BO, BR, K, NSW, P)
Epiphytic, spreading, 30-50 cm long, several-stemmed. Roots filiform, flexuose, elongated, finely villose. Stems short, compressed, laxly few-leaved, 6-11 cm long, to 1 cm wide. Leaves articulated, sheathing, linear or linear-lanceolate, somewhat narrowed towards the base, acute, the lower leaf to 20 cm long, the upper one 25-45 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide; Inflorescence terminal, capitate, sessile, 3-3.5 cm diam. Bracts ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, some longer than the flowers, some about as long as the flowers, the outer ones often much wider than the inner ones. Flowers subsessile. Median sepal ovate, acuminate, 0.8 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, about as long as the median sepal. Petal oblong-ligulate, subacute, slightly narrowed in the middle, 0.7 cm long, slightly oblique. Lip at the base broadly cuneate, 3-lobed, lobes rounded, obtuse, mid-lobe minutely notched, twice as long as the lateral lobes, sac subglobose, at the apex weakly notched, 0.3 cm diam., at the mouth of the sac with a transverse 3-lobulate appendage, the median lobule subquadrate, subretuse and about twice as large as the lateral lobules, epichile 0.7 cm long, 0.9 cm wide in the middle. Column below the stigma with a flattened callus. Anther rounded, in front shortly acuminate. Pollinia 8, obliquely pyriform, viscidium, subquadrate, conspicuous. (After Schlechter, 1905).
Colours: Flower pure white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1370-2600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, March, April, May, September, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 24-33M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.
Note: A characteristic species because of the short stems with relatively very long leaves.