Eria subclausa

Eria subclausa Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 663

Type: Schlechter 18143 (holo B, lost; iso L, S)

Epiphyte, erect, 25-40 cm high; rhizome very short, roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; pseudobulbs cylindrical, covered with large clasping sheaths, 8-15 cm high, near the middle 0.7-1.5 cm diameter, at apex 3-4-leaved; leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-ligulate, narrowly obtuse, gradually subpetiolate-narrowed towards the base, glabrous, 16-28 cm long, near the middle 1.7-1.8 cm wide; Inflorescence erect, arising laterally near the apex of the pseudobulbs, shortly pedunculate, laxly 10-15-flowered; bracts ovate, narrowly obtuse, several times shorter than the ovary. Flowers erect-patent, not widely opening. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 0.8 cm long, outside sparsely stellate-puberulous. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base dilated along the front margins, mentum obtuse, 0.3 cm long: petals obliquely elliptic, obtuse, glabrous, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base broadly cuneate, in apical third 3-lobed, 0.6 cm long, between the apices of the lateral lobes 0.5 cm wide, at the base with two subparallel, minutely papillose keels extending to below the base of the mid-lobe, lateral lobes divergent, triangular, obtuse, mid-lobe semioblong, apiculate, margins weakly incurved, longer than the lateral lobes, with a broadly cordate or subreniform thickening. Column short, glabrous, column-foot somewhat incurved, lateral lobes of the clinandrium rounded, dorsal lobe somewhat longer, triangular, obtuse. Anther subreniform, cucullate, in front truncate, dorsally notched, thickly umbonate. Ovary sessile, cylindrical, minutely stellate-finely tomentose, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flower pure white.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 600-950 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September, October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-719M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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