Glomera palustris

Glomera palustris J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 2 (1911) 3

Type: Kock, de 72 (holo BO, spirit material; iso L)

Terrestrial. Leaves crowded, erect, lanceolate, apex unequally obtusely weakly bilobulate, obtusely concave, below obtusely convex, margin above very minutely cartilaginous crenulate, above minutely transversely rugulose and furfuraceous-punctate, thick coriaceous, somewhat rigid, 7.5-7.75 cm long, up to 1.3 cm wide; sheaths surpassing the internodes, tubular, rugulose and sparsely furfuraceous-punctate, apex in front deeply notched, without a tooth. Inflorescence capitate, nodding, many-flowered, 2.5 cm diam., the involucral scales large, ovate to orbicular, acuminate, strongly concave above, keeled, finely punctate, up to 2.3 cm long. Floral bracts subovate to lanceolate, long acuminate, narrowly obtuse or somewhat acute, very thin membranous, much surpassing the ovary, 1.6-1.8 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm wide. Flowers medium-sized, 0.77 cm wide, 0.9 cm long. Sepals and petals in the basal part parallel, apex recurved. Sepals especially at the base verrucose outside. Median sepal oblong, obtuse, at the base concave, above convex, 3-nerved, 0.75 cm long, 0.34 cm wide. Lateral sepals at the base for 0.48 cm connate, clasping the spur, obliquely oblong-triangular, acute, subulate-apiculate, 5-nerved, 0.73 cm long, to the apex of the mentum 0.83 cm long, 0.4 cm wide; mentum pointing backwards, very short, rounded, somewhat laterally compressed, 0.15 cm long, 0.25 cm high. Petals obliquely oblong, obtuse, minutely apiculate, in the basal part concave, above convex, 3-nerved, 0.67 cm long, 0.3 cm wide. Lip at the base adnate to the column, entire, to the tip of the spur 0.55 cm long, up to the apex of the ovary 0.48 cm long; blade somewhat recurved, quadrangular, rounded-truncate, obtusely apiculate, at the base transversely thickened, above inside with a small longitudinal rib, glabrous, 0.34 cm long, 0.3 cm wide; spur saccate, obliquely rounded, laterally compressed, up to the apex of the ovary 0.2 cm long, in front 0.34 cm long, at the base 0.25 cm high. Column curved, dorsally convex, 0.28 cm long, clinandrium on either side notched, denticulate, apex (filament) triangular, auricles somewhat shorter than the rostellum, oblong, sometimes bidentate. Anther cucullate, orbicular, apex somewhat retuse, membranous-marginate, at the base strongly conical-raised. Rostellum broad, shortly bilobed. Stigma cup-shaped, margin strongly elongated, narrow, incurved, together with the rostellum forming a quadrangular. Ovary 3-grooved, glabrous, 0.6 cm long. (After Smith, 1913)

Colours: Flower white, lip orange.

Habitat: Terrestrial in upper montane forest in exposed positions. Altitude 1650-3450 m.

Flowering time in the wild: January, March, June, October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Solomon Islands.

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 322-96M.JPG

Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, keep in light position.

Note: One of the most robust species of Glomera.

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