Agrostophyllum fibrosum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 370, pl. 51, 28
Type: Lam 1434 (syn L); 1530 (syn L, BO)
Stems close together, unbranched, 10-27.5 cm long, leafy, internodes 0.35-0.6 cm long. Leaves small, patent, lanceolate, gradually narrowed towards the apex, obtuse, shortly bidentate, mucronate, teeth triangular, falcate-incurved, mucro shorter, at the base half-twisted, somewhat clasping the stem, apical margin also with lacinulate-erose teeth, midrib above slightly grooved, below slightly prominent, 1.6-2.75 cm long, 0.4-0.6 cm wide; sheaths tubular, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, surpassing the internodes, in cross section elliptic, in front membranous-marginate and more or less torn, apex on either side with a falcate tooth. Inflorescence terminal, capitate, few-flowered, surrounded by scales that soon dissolve into up to 2 cm long fibres, individual inflorescences short, 1-flowered, together with the flower 1.85 cm long, peduncle 0.2 cm long, with 6 distichous, tightly overlapping, tubular, membranous scales that below the flower more or less dissolve into fibres, the scales furfuraceous-spotted, upper ones larger, acute, up to 1.1 cm long. Floral bracts similar to the scales but larger, at the base tubular, distinctly broadly ovate-dilated, when cut and flattened in outline broadly rhombic, at the base broadly cuneate, broadly ovate, above furfuraceous-spotted, 1 cm long, 0.95 cm wide. Flower medium-sized, at the base enveloped by bracts and scales. Median sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, shortly apiculate-acuminate, concave, 3-nerved, 0.65 cm long, 0.5 cm wide. Lateral sepals along the inner margins for 1/3 of their length subsaccate-connate, obliquely ovate, falcate, acute, subulate-apiculate, concave, 3-nerved, dorsally near the apex sparsely furfuraceous-spotted, 0.68-0.7 cm, along the front margin 0.9 cm long, 0.5 cm wide. Petals obliquely oblong-ovate, obtuse, at the base obtuse, somewhat contracted, minutely undulate except at the base, 3-nerved, about 0.5 cm long, 0.3 cm wide. Lip porrect, at the base shortly saccate, outside longitudinally grooved, 0.98 cm, when flattened about 1 cm long; sac pointing backwards, rounded, inside and outside strongly longitudinally 4-ribbed, 0.1 cm long; lateral lobes short, hardly developed, slightly rounded, in between with a transverse, high, oblong-quadrangular, truncate, soft lamella with recurved, papillose-velvety apex; mid-lobe conspicuous, porrect, concave, at the base shortly clawed-contracted, inside with two longitudinal, parallel, closely spaced, convex, shortly papillose thickenings, broadly transversely rhombic, on either side rounded, apex shortly obtusely bilobulate, crenulate except for the claw, 0.65 cm long, 0.9 cm wide, claw 0.3 cm wide. Column making an obtuse angle with the ovary, short, from the apex of the ovary to the apex of the rostellum 0.37 cm long, from the apex of the column to the apex of the column-foot 0.52 cm long, thick, apex weakly incurved, very broadly, shortly, obtusely 3-lobulate, below the stigma with a conspicuous, thick fleshy, deflexed, constricted appendage that is broadened above the base, transversely elliptic above the constriction, slightly concave and dorsally convex, at the base and on the column-foot with a prominent transverse thickening that is rounded-triangular in lateral view and which in front, especially in the basal part, is broadly longitudinally channelled, on either side in the middle of the column with a strongly patent, somewhat decurved, shortly conical, carnose tooth; clinandrium deeply hollow, triangular, at the base with a small longitudinal keel. Anther cucullate, triangular in outline, 0.22 cm wide, apex obtuse, shortly obtusely 3-lobulate, at the base subtruncate. Pollinia 8, obliquely clavate, at the base very sharply acute. Rostellum porrect, bilobulate, lobules vertical, subulate. Stigma deeply saccate, transversely 5-angular, about equilaterally trapeziform. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.7 cm long. Fruit with 6 about equally wide valves that are cohering at base and apex. (After Smith, 1929).
Colours: Flower white with a yellow blotch at the base of the epichile.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1420 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 24-39M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte, keep in shade.
Note: Related to Agrostophyllum appendiculoides Schltr., Agrostophyllum fragrans Schltr., Agrostophyllum verruciferum Schltr. and Agrostophyllum patentissimum J.J.Sm.