Agrostophyllum lamellatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 39 (1910) 1
Type: Römer, von 1217 (holo BO; iso L)
Plant to c. 62 cm long. Stems flattened, 0.5-1.2 cm wide over the leaf sheaths, from base to apex slightly tapering. Leaf appressed to the stem, reaching to the base of the fourth one above, but the upper ones not even reaching to the base of the first one above and thus leaving a part of the stem free, 3.5-10 cm long; with a 2-7 cm long incision, with a tubular basal part; width of margin to midrib 0.3-0.8 cm; apical margin at the articulation drawn out into a very short, c. 0.1 cm long, tooth-like projection. Leaf blade erect, linear, 8.5- 21 by 0.7-1 cm, index 11-22.1; base not twisted, upper side of the leaf blades not or just with the apical part turned to one side of the plant; apex acute, gradually tapering, its tip equally or unequally bilobed, sometimes between the lobes with a minute mucro, sometimes acute. Inflorescence 10-23 cm long, with 3-6 internodes of which the ones at the base of the inflorescence are up to 5.5 cm long; partial inflorescences 3-7 per bract first order, arranged in distant, dense, globular tufts, the tufts in the lower part of the inflorescence (distinctly) moved up the internode for up to 4 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, narrowly triangular, those at the base of the inflorescence to 2-4 cm long, almost 1 internode long, not folded along the midrib, papery, sometimes with a dark coloured margin, when older slit along the midrib or pushed aside, eventually partly or completely disintegrating. Partial inflorescences laterally emerging and pushing the bract first order aside, placed in a short, globular tuft; each 1-flowered, with 4 normal bracts second order of which the lowest 3 are sterile and at the base with several additional tiny sterile bracts second order; axis c. 0.1 cm long. Bracts second order 0.6-1.05 cm long. Flowers widely open or rather closed; mentum pronounced, obtuse, 0.25-0.3 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 0.5-0.8 cm long. Median sepal concave, ovate, not recurved, 0.4-0.62 by 0.21-0.35 cm, index 1.7-2.1; apex acute to acuminate; nerves 4-5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Lateral sepals asymmetric, connate at the base, not recurved, 0.6-0.8 by 0.25-0.4 cm, index 2-2.8; apex acuminate; nerves 3-4, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Petals symmetric, ligulate, 0.45-0.54 by 0.17-0.22 cm, index 2.3-2.6; top rounded, tip obtuse, sometimes slightly acute; 3-5 nerved. Lip c. 0.81 cm long. Hypochile deeply saccate, 0.2-0.3 by 0.15-0.2 by 0.15-0.2 cm, inside with one, low rounded, at the base knob-like thickened rib, sometimes the rib on both sides next to it also somewhat thickened; base shortly saccate; lateral lobes very high, in front broadly rounded, top sometimes curved outwards; callus far overtopping the lateral lobes, papillate, its apex hardly curved, retuse. Epichile concave, about orbicular, c. 0.52 by 0.55 cm, index c. 0.9; margin hardly curved upwards, irregular, hardly undulate; apex (when flattened) rounded, on the underside near the margin with an obtuse apiculum; median at the base with two low, longitudinal thickenings or calli. Column widened around the stigma, excluding column foot and anther 0.2-0.3 by 0.12-0.2 cm; just below the stigma depressed and sometimes with low longitudinal ribs, but without cross-groove, and without longitudinal, elevated band of tissue; laterally on either side with a ridge which is next to the stigma drawn out in a distinct, triangular, forwards-pointing, arm-like lobe; column foot long, 0.2-0.28 by 0.08-0.15 cm, the margins in the upper part sometimes turned upwards producing a deep, longitudinal groove which widens lower down. Anther about globose, with a longitudinal ridge, c. 0.09 cm diam.. Pollinia obovoid, 0.06-0.08 by 0.01-0.03 cm. Stigma in outline about rectangular with near the base next to the arm-like lobes on either side a lateral depression, 0.08-0.15 by 0.08-0.15 cm diam., with an indented lower rim; rostellum folded to the front, median notched, the lobes around the notch about triangular. Fruit with perianth and/or column on apex persistent; body 0.95-1 by 0.3-0.32 cm. Seeds fusiform, c. 0.02 cm long. (After Weijnen and De Vogel, unpublished).
Colours: Leaves bright-green. Flowers white with a yellow spot on the lip; apex of column brown.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1600-2600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, March, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 24-55M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.