Ceratostylis mayrii J.J.Sm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 66 (1934) 171
Type: Mayr 312 (holo L)
Plant small. Stems closely spaced, fascicled, apparently terete, thin, 3-4.3 cm long, sheaths clasping, tubular, membranous, nerved, laxly veined near the base. Leaf linear, apex conduplicate, acute, base acute contracted into a petiole, obtusely angled channelled, the sides convex, coriaceous, 4.6 cm long, when flattened 0.46 cm wide, when dried 0.3-0.35 cm wide; petiole terete, channelled, 0.3-0.4 cm long, sheath channelled, 0.2 cm long. Inflorescences apparently single or a few, peduncle 0.13 cm long, with c. 3 small scales which increase in size upwards, becoming almost equal to the Floral bract. Floral bract strongly concave, broadly ovate, obtuse, apiculate, 0.3 cm long. Flower when spread 0.7 cm long, the sepals dorsally arachnoid-pubescent. Median sepal oblong, obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.45 cm by 0.18 cm Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, narrowed to the apex, obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.4 cm long, including the basal lobule 0.66 cm long, 0.18 cm wide, with an obliquely oblong, 0.13 cm wide, concave lobule decurrent on the column-foot; mentum pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, spur-like, straight, obtuse, dorsally 0.25 cm long. Petals narrowly obliquely lanceolate, gradually acuminate, acute, below concave, convex above, apex slightly recurved, 1-nerved, 0.37 cm long, 0.1 cm wide. Lip parallel with the column-foot and the column, in total almost 0.7 cm long, at the base 0.08 cm wide, in the middle over 0.15 cm wide, epichile 0.24 by 0.15 cm, at a little over one third above the base obtusely angled-weakly recurved, linear-lanceolate, 3-nerved, in basal 2/3 concave, finely ciliate except at the base, with parallel, thin, finely ciliate keels, in basal third narrowed towards the base, base with two minute, obtuse, backwards-pointing auricles, apical third of the lip thickened, oblong, obtuse, convex above. Column 0.24 cm long, deeply divided into two porrect, parallel, obliquely oblong, rounded, outside convex, inside concave arms. Anther cucullate, rounded-subquadrangular, base very shortly 4-lobulate, 0.08 cm wide. Column-foot making an obtuse angle with the column, making an acute angle with the ovary, straight, linear, apex very shortly free from the lateral sepals and rectangularly incurved, 0.18 cm long. Ovary arachnoid-pubescent, almost 0.3 cm long. (After Smith, 1934).
Colours: Flower greenish.
Habitat: Epiphyte in upper montane forest. Altitude 1400-2000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-94M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.