Agrostophyllum stenophyllum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 258
Type: Schlechter 20231 (holo B, lost); neo: Schodde & Craven 3754 (L; isoneo A, CANB; LAE, chosen by Weijnen & de Vogel)
Plant to c. 70 cm long. Stems at the base terete, to the apex gradually flattening, 0.3-0.6 cm wide over the leaf sheaths, from base to apex about equally wide or slightly broadening. Leaf sheath appressed to the stem, reaching to the base of the third one above, c. 3.5 cm long; with a 1.5-2.3 cm long incision, with a tubular basal part; width of margin to midrib 0.2-0.3 cm; apical margin at the articulation drawn out into a slender, 0.3-0.8 cm long, tooth-like projection. Leaf blade erect-patent, linear, (5.5-)10-13 by 0.2-0.5 cm, index (18.3-)21-65; base twisted, upper side of all leaf blades completely turned to one side of the plant; apex very slender acute, narrowly triangular, gradually tapering, its tip acute to acuminate, not bilobed. Inflorescence 12-29 cm long, flattened, with 15-50 internodes of which the ones at the base of the inflorescence are up to 1 cm long; partial inflorescence one per bract first order. Bracts first order when young overtopping the partial inflorescence, narrowly triangular, those at the base of the inflorescence to 2.5 cm long, c. 3 internodes long, folded along the midrib, persistent, without dark coloured margin, when older slit along the midrib, more often almost disintegrated into persistent fibres. Partial inflorescence at the apex laterally emerging from the slit or from between the fibres of the bract first order, 1-flowered, with 4 bracts second order of which the lowest 3 are sterile; axis 0.2-0.3 cm long. bracts second order 0.3-0.73 cm long, sometimes the sterile and the fertile ones of almost the same length. Flowers widely open or rather closed; mentum pronounced, obtuse, c. 0.2 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 0.6-0.8 cm long. Median sepal concave, slightly obovate, not recurved, 0.38-0.5 by 0.18-0.25 cm, index 2-2.8; apex acuminate; nerves 3-5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Lateral sepals asymmetric, connate at the base, not recurved, 0.58-0.70 by 0.2-0.3 cm, index 2.1-3.1; apex acuminate; nerves 4-5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Petals symmetric but slightly asymmetric at the base, very narrow, ovate, slightly narrowed below the middle, 0.36-0.5 by 0.1-0.15 cm, index 2.8-4.0; apex acute to slightly acuminate, tip acute; 3-5-nerved. Lip turned away from the inflorescence axis, 0.56-0.73 cm long. Hypochile saccate, 0.25-0.3 by 0.1-0.15 by 0.13-0.2 cm, inside with 3 prominent nerves; base shortly saccate; lateral lobes rather low, in front broadly rounded; callus overtopping the lateral lobes, minutely papillate, its apex not curved, shallowly retuse with median an apiculum. Epichile flat to slightly convex, when flattened about orbicular, 0.34-0.5 by 0.33-0.46 cm, index 0.9-1.1; margin curved upwards, shallowly and regularly indented, hardly undulate; apex acuminate and curved backwards; median with a shallow longitudinal groove from apex to base, at the base with two low, cushion-like calli. Column slightly widened around the stigma, excluding the anther 0.25-0.42 by 0.12-0.2 cm; stelidia small, pointed downwards, triangular, with two warts in between; column below in front with two low cushions separated by an indistinct longitudinal groove, about halfway on either side depressed, the median elevated part with an indistinct cross-groove, below the stigma with two pronounced, swollen, ovoid warts; column foot (almost) absent. Anther globose, 0.09-0.11 by 0.07-0.08 cm. Pollinia long obovoid, 0.04-0.09 by 0.01-0.02 cm. Stigma about orbicular, c. 0.1 cm diam.; rostellum low, not folded to the front, median notched. Fruit not seen when mature; body c. 1 by 0.3 cm. Seeds not seen. (After Weijnen and De Vogel, unpublished).
Colours: Leaves rather dark dull green above, paler below. Flower white or white with yellow lip.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 900-1500 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, September, October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 24-100M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.
Note: A member of sect. Dolichodesme with unusually narrow leaves.