Appendicula lutea

Appendicula lutea Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 350

Type: Schlechter 18577 (holo B, lost)

Epiphyte, erect or patent, up to 40 cm long; rhizome very short, roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, shortly villose; stems unbranched, more or less flexuose, densely leafy, thinly terete, entirely covered by the closely appressed leaf-sheaths, 0.15-0.2 cm diameter; leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-elliptic, 1.5-2.5 cm long, below the middle 0.35-0.6 cm wide, pointed, the apex itself bidentate with a rather long apiculum, apical margin minutely serrate-denticulate. Inflorescences terminal, usually somewhat patent, rather densely 10-15-flowered, up to 2.5 cm long; bracts reflexed, lanceolate, apiculate, slightly more than half as long as the ovary. Flowers patent, glabrous. Sepals broadly ovate, obtuse, 0.25 cm long. Lateral sepals strongly oblique, at the base much dilated along the front margin, mentum oblongoid, broadly obtuse, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely ligulate, obtuse, distinctly shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline oblong, concave at the base, in front rounded, obtusely apiculate, 0.35 by 0.2 cm, at the base with a forked lamella which is dorsally spur-like folded, the arms of the lamella gradually diverging, in the middle of the blade decurrent and disappearing. Column short, without rostellum. Anther reniform, in front 2-apiculate, with a reniform, calliferous umbo. Ovary with pedicel clavate, glabrous, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flower yellow, lip with two brown spots.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1300-1500 m.

Flowering time in the wild: June.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Solomon Islands.

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-121M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte, keep in shade.

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