Appendicula gjellerupii J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 369 (nom. nov.)
Basionym: Appendicula carinifera
Stems closely spaced, unbranched, 23 cm long, internodes 0.6-0.8 cm long. Leaves patent, narrowly lanceolate, unequally obtusely bidentate, mucronate, with the mucro about as long as the teeth, when dried papyraceous, the leaves becoming smaller towards the base, 1.1-3.2 by 0.34-0.58 cm; sheaths tubular, in front very deeply notched, much longer than the internodes. Inflorescences arising from the upper nodes, very short, appressed to the stem, at the base secund to almost fasciculate-branched, c. 6-flowered, 1 cm long, peduncle covered with small overlapping scales; rachis angular, 0.5-0.6 cm long. Floral bracts reflexed, 5-angular-subbovate, narrowly obtuse, concave, 3-nerved, to 0.25 cm long. Flowers turned to all sides, small. Median sepal ovate-triangular, obtuse, apex dorsally slightly thickened, concave, 3-nerved, 0.3 cm long. Lateral sepals with an obliquely suborbicular, strongly concave lobule decurrent on the column-foot, along the front margins rather shortly saccate-connate, free part obliquely ovate-triangular, obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.28 cm long, 0.2 cm wide, in total 0.47 cm long; mentum pointing downwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, subquadrangular, broadly obtuse, 0.18 cm. long. Petals subelliptic-obovate, obtuse, concave, c. 2-nerved, 0.27 by 0.17 cm. Lip simple, at the base broadly adnate to the column-foot, concave, at the apex recurved, when flattened elliptic-oblong, 0.43 by 0.24 cm, obtuse, at a little below the middle slightly pandurate-constricted, 3-nerved, in the basal part with a rounded, concave appendage which is distinctly shorter and narrower than the claw of the lip and which vanishes below the middle, inside with a large, longitudinal, oblong callus, at the apex with a minute callus. Column dorsally convex, 0.17 cm long, clinandrium deeply concave, margin slightly irregular. Anther elongated-cordate, 0.17 cm long, connective in the basal part gibbose-thickened, in front forming a decurrent keel which terminates below the apex in a triangular, acute tooth. Rostellum strongly porrect, concave, bidentate. Stigma almost semi-orbicular. Column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, oblong, somewhat dilated towards the apex, at the base and margins convex-carnose, at the apex thin and concave, almost 0.2 cm long. Ovary subsessile, 6-grooved, almost 0.2 cm long. (After Smith, 1916, as Appendicula carinifera J.J.Sm.).
Colours: Flower white, on the lip suffused with light violet-lilac.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest. Altitude 100-350 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 57-80M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.