Corybas albipurpureus P.Royen, Phanerog. Monogr. 16 (1983) 70, fig. 15
Type: NGF (Millar) 23171 (holo L; iso BISH, LAE)
Small, 3-8 cm high terrestrial. Tuber globose or ovoid, 0.4-0.7 by 0.3-0.4 cm. Stem 1.4-6 cm high, 3-winged, glabrous. Cataphyll tubular-funnel-shaped, 0.45-0.5 cm long, acuminate, glabrous. Leaves narrowly cordate-ovate, 1.3-2.1 by 0.8-1.2 cm, subulate-apiculate, at the base cordate, mid-rib sunken above, prominent below mainly in the basal part, basal nerves 3 on either side of mid-rib, only the innermost reaching apical part of the leaf-blade, cross-veins 4 or 5 on either side of the mid-rib, connate to innermost basal nerve, venation sparse, widely reticulate, margin wavy; pellucid lenticels none. Pedicel 0.1 cm long, glabrous. Floral bract lanceolate-linear, 0.45-0.5 cm long, subulate in apical part, narrowed at the base, margin wavy, glabrous. Ovary 3-sided, slightly obliquely cylindrical, 0.25-0.3 cm long, 6-ribbed, glabrous. Median sepal from an erect, 0.8-1 cm long, narrowly conoid, boat-shaped claw slightly curving into a hooded 0.7-0.9 by 0.7-0.9 cm large apical part, mucronate, sparsely dentate near tip only, 3-nerved at the base, 5-nerved on hood, glabrous. Lateral sepals linear, subulate at tip, 2.3 cm long. Petals linear, subulate at tip, 1.6 cm long. Lip from a funnel-shaped 0.5-0.8 cm long basal part gradually widening into an only slightly curved blade, the blade when spread 0.4-0.6 by 0.4-0.6 cm, margin sparsely coarsely fimbriate, 3-nerved at the base, 10-12-nerved along the margin, on inside between throat and margin with a band of hispid papillae; spurs conoid, 0.1 cm long. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1983).
Colours: Flowers white on outside, wine red on inside.
Habitat: Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 2710-2987 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 178-11M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial.