Cleisostoma platystele Ormerod, Austral. Orchid Rev. 61, 4 (1996) 37, fig.
Type: NGF (Millar) 40864 (holo LAE)
Epiphytic, climbing orchid. Roots 0.4 cm diam. Stem slightly fractiflex, slightly compressed, elliptic to circular in cross-section, internodes 1.2-4 cm long, 1-1.2 cm diam. Leaf sheaths covering stem, rugulose in dry material. Leaves ligulate, more or less equally obtusely bilobed, thickly coriaceous, 13-20 cm long or more, 2-3 cm wide. Inflorescence stout, 0.4-0.6 cm diam. at base, 37-72.5 cm long (peduncle 27-33 cm long; panicle 10-39.5 cm long), panicle branches 4-15 cm long, a few flowers open at a time per branch. Sepals elliptic, subacute, fleshy, 0.5 by 0.4 cm. Petals oblong-obcuneate, obtuse, fleshy, 0.4 by 0.2 cm. Lip three-lobed, fleshy, 0.7 by 0.3 cm; lateral lobes broad-based, upper half ligulate, acute; mid-lobe about quadrate, emarginate, apiculate, 0.25 by 0.2 cm, with a small deltoid tooth inside each side at base; spur obliquely truncate, obtuse, 0.35 cm long; front wall callus triangular uncinate in cross-section, minutely papillose on back; back wall callus bifurcate, minutely papillose. Column short, stout, 0.2 cm long, 0.3 cm wide; rostellum very short, bidentate; stigma a narrow slit. Anther cordate, 0.2 cm long, rostrum ridged. Pollinia four, in two pairs; stipe linear-subspathulate; viscidium small. (After Ormerod, 1996).
Colours: Flowers greenish to greenish-brown, Lip white, all turning yellow with age.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1370 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 155-234M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.