Eria stenophylla Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 669
Type: Schlechter 19624 (holo B, lost)
Epiphyte, erect, 25- 40 cm high; rhizome very short; roots very thin, filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous; stems unbranched, straight or almost straight, terete, leafy, entirely covered with the closely appressed leaf-sheaths, 0.5-0.7 cm diameter; leaves erect-patent, linear, acute, thickly coriaceous, margins usually incurved, 7-15 cm long, near the middle 0.3-0.6 cm wide; Inflorescence terminal, solitary or (usually) in pairs, erect, rather laxly 10-20-flowered, not longer than the upper leaves, peduncle with a few peduncle-scales which are similar to the bracts, rachis about as long as the peduncle, stellate-finely tomentose with white hairs; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, usually shorter than the flowers, towards the apex gradually decreasing in size. Flowers erect-patent, outside stellate-finely tomentose with white hairs. Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, inside glabrous, 0.4 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base widened along the front margin, mentum obtuse, short, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely oblong, obtuse, glabrous, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline at the base broadly cuneate quadrate, margins somewhat subcrenate, in front obtusely apiculate, 0.35 cm long, in the middle 0.3 cm wide, entire, with a semiglobose, farinose callus which has two very small additional calli at its base, with another, larger, farinose callus below the apex which is connected to the first callus by a linear, farinose keel which is dilated towards the apex, on either side of this keel with two glabrous, almost parallel lateral keels with free, subacute apices and which are decurrent to above the middle. Column short, glabrous, lobes of the clinandrium truncate, median lobe longer. Anther obreniform-cucullate, umbonate, glabrous. Ovary shortly pedicellate, subclavate, stellate-finely tomentose, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flower white, lip with red spots.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-710M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.