Eria imbricata J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 22
Type: Versteeg 1147 (holo BO?; iso L)
Rhizome creeping, robust. Pseudobulbs oblong, carnose, 7-12 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, 2-3-leaved. Leaves erect, lanceolate, acuminate, acute, at the base gradually narrowed, below with 3 prominent nerves, of which the median is the strongest, 50-62 cm long, 6-8 cm wide; sheaths short, broad. Inflorescence breaking through the sheath, erect, elongated, densely many-flowered, peduncle broadly 3-winged, 32 cm long, covered with lanceolate acuminate sheaths, rachis intermittently alternately strongly winged-angular, sparsely pubescent, 20 cm long. Floral bracts triangular, very long acuminate, concave, initially imbricate, outside and inside appressed black pubescent, with 5 dorsally prominent nerves, keeled along the median, 2.4 cm long, 0.8-0.9 cm wide. Flowers medium sized, 2.5 cm wide. Median sepal oblong-ovate, acute, apiculate, concave, dorsally sparsely pubescent, 3-nerved, 1.85 cm long, 0.83 cm wide. Lateral sepals decurrent on the column-foot, obliquely ovate-triangular, subfalcate, subacuminate, acute, concave, dorsally sparsely pubescent, especially towards the base keeled, 3-nerved, 1.8 cm long, 0.95 cm wide. Petals subovate-oblong, somewhat oblique, acute, 3-nerved, 1.6 cm long, 0.63 cm wide. Lip submobile, curved, convex, 3-lobed, between the lateral lobes with 3 broad, carnose ribs separated by grooves, decurrent to the base of the mid-lobe, not extending to the base of the lip, inside papillose, when flattened 1 cm long, 0.63 cm wide; lateral lobes recurved, rounded or rounded-triangular; mid-lobe recurved, suborbicular or subovate, acuminate, 0.44-0.5 cm long, 0.48-0.38 cm wide. Column rather long, thick, apex thickened, dorsally at the apex keeled, on both sides of the stigma with a carnose lobule, obtusely angular, incurved, below the stigma obtusely ribbed, 0.77 cm long. Anther cucullate, in outline ovate, apex strongly produced, rounded, at the base cordate, 0.28 cm long, thecae occupying the lower half only. Pollinia 8, rounded-obtriangular, laterally compressed. Rostellum short, wide. Stigma obtrapeziform, with a small longitudinal rib. Column-foot at right angles to the ovary, incurved, apex decurved, broad, truncate, fleshy, upper half thickened, 3-ribbed, up to 0.55 cm long. Ovary and pedicel sharply 3-angled, sparsely pubescent, 1.5 cm long. Fruit decurved, ellipsoid, 2 cm long, dehiscent with 6 valvae which are united at base and apex. (After Smith, 1909)
Colours: Flower pale yellowish; column-foot with violet margins and two violet longitudinal lines, at the apex brown-violet, below the apex with a transverse orange band bordered by a dark brown line.
Habitat: Epiphyte. Altitude 0-1200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, May, June.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-319M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm to intermediate growing epiphyte.
Note: Related to Eria ramuana Schltr.