Galeola nudifolia Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 2 (1790) 520
Type: Lourero s.n. (in sylvis Cochinae) (holo BM)
Stem stout, elongated, climbing, rooting at the nodes, with appressed, broadly triangular scales that become smaller upwards. Inflorescence strongly branched, final twigs laxly many-flowered, closely spaced. Floral bracts patent, broadly triangular, acute, strongly concave, tomentose, to 0.25 cm long. Flowers rather large, when entirely spread 3.3 cm wide, sepals dorsally tomentose. Median sepal suboblique, subelliptic, long acuminate, at the apex recurved, narrowly obtuse, contracted at the base, c. 6-nerved, 2 by 0.93 cm. Lateral sepals almost equal, obliquely subovate-elliptic, almost falcate, obtusely acuminate, with recurved margins, c. 8-nerved, 2.15-2.3 by 1.2-1.25 cm. Petals obliquely cuneate-obovate, falcate, at the apex recurved, fairly abruptly obtusely acuminate, base narrow, especially along the upper margin undulate, 5-6-nerved, 1.95-2 by 1-1.13 cm. Lip large, broad, simple, margins clasping the column, strongly saccate-concave, slightly undulate, at the apex slightly recurved, very broad, truncate, obtusely apiculate, wavy, muriculate-ciliate, underneath with a longitudinal groove that is dilated towards the apex, and, especially near the base, sparsely muriculate-papillose, inside especially along the nerves and veins, except near the margins, densely muriculate-papillose, with a rather short, oblong callus that is free at the back side, backwards pointing, not reaching the base of the lip, truncate, and which is provided with two keels that are divergent towards the base of the lip, towards the apex merged, the callus carnose, 0.14 cm wide above the base, on either side at the base with a small, almost hand-shaped callus, lip c. 15-nerved, when not entirely flattened 2.1 by 2 cm. Column strongly curved, dorsally near the apex with two humps, base in front slightly thickened, at the apex finely laciniate; clinandrium deeply concave, transverse, with lacerate and dentate margin; filament recurved, porrect, at the apex laciniate. Anther porrect, cucullate, dorsally compressed, 6-angled, at the apex semiorbicular-notched, dorsally 3-lobulate, 0.28 cm long. Stigma similar to the clinandrium but somewhat larger, transverse, deeply concave, with the lower margin raised. Ovary pedicellate, terete, tomentose, 2.5-3.1 cm long. (After Smith, 1915, as Galeola torana J.J.Sm.).
Colours: Stems and scales brown tinged rose-red. Flower light yellow.
Habitat: Terrestrial in forest. Altitude 25 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, New Guinea, The Philippines), Thailand, Vietnam, N. India, Burma to China (Hainan).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 310-23M.JPG
Cultivation: Terrestrial, probably parasitic on fungi and probably impossible to grow under normal conditions.