Ceratostylis curvimentum J.J.Sm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 66 (1934) 172
Type: Mayr 319 (syn BO); 382 (syn BO; iso L)
Stems closely spaced, fascicled, thin, terete, 6.5-16.5 cm long; sheaths tubular, clasping, becoming larger upwards, membranous, laxly reticulate-veined, to c. 2-3 cm long near the base. Leaf linear, apex conduplicate-acute, base weakly petiolate-contracted and conduplicate, mid-rib when dried dorsally more or less prominent, towards the apex keeled and extending beyond the apex, when dried coriaceous, rather rigid, 5.5-9 cm long, 0.33-0.5 cm wide, petiole 0.3-0.4 cm long; sheath channelled-conduplicate, dilated towards base and clasping the stem, prominently nerved, 0.2-0.3 cm long. Inflorescences fascicled, with many small scales, several-flowered, scales large, tubular, strongly concave, acuminate, acute, brownish or whitish. Flower when spread 0.8 cm long, sepals dorsally long thinly pilose. Median sepal making an obtuse angle with the ovary, apex slightly recurved, convex, base concave, lanceolate, pointed, rather obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.53 cm long, 0.15 cm wide. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, 3-nerved, 0.5 cm long, including the basal lobule 0.83 cm long, 0.15 cm wide, at the base 0.5 cm wide, with a long, oblique, narrow, at the apex dilated, slightly incurved, concave lobule decurrent on the column-foot, apex narrowed and recurved, obtuse; mentum pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, spur-like, clavate, apex slightly incurved, obtuse, 0.33 cm long. Petals obliquely narrowly lanceolate, gradually long acutely acuminate, apex recurved, 1-nerved, 0.5 cm long, almost 0.1 cm wide. Lip almost straight, slightly curved in basal part, concave, underneath convex with a longitudinal groove, claw linear, mesochile obovate, finely ciliate, margins towards the apex thickened-incurved, epichile carnose-thickened, on either side convex, oblong, apex pointed, subacute, contracted, with a lobe-like thickening extending backwards from the base of epichile, lip 3-nerved, with two small parallel, finely ciliate keels extending from the base up to the middle of the lip, 0.83 cm long, claw 0.25 cm long, 0.08 cm wide, mesochile 0.28 cm long, 0.22 cm wide, epichile 0.3 cm long, 0.18 cm wide. Column straight, 0.2 cm long, deeply divided into two broadly obliquely oblong, at the apex rounded, inside concave, outside convex arms. Anther cucullate, rounded-quadrate, base unequally 4-lobulate, outer lobules larger, 0.08 cm wide. Column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, making a broadly obtuse angle with the column, straight, apex very short, obtusely angled, incurved, free from the lateral sepals, linear, 0.25 cm long. Ovary pedicellate, white-arachnoid-pilose, 0.47 cm long. (After Smith, 1934).
Colours: Flower yellowish white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in upper montane forest. Altitude 1700-1900 m.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-44M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.