Micropera fasciculata

Micropera fasciculata (Lindl.) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23, 4 (1972) 186

Basionym: Saccolabium fasciculatum

Inflorescence erect, lax, covered with scale-hairs, rachis zigzag. Floral bracts triangular, obtuse, 0.18 cm long. Flowers widely opening, [not resupinate,] carnose, 1.3 cm wide, 1.45 cm long; sepals inside sparsely, outside densely covered with scale-hairs. Median sepal subobovate-oblong, obtuse, concave, 5-nerved, 0.75 cm long, 0.33 cm wide. Lateral sepals very shortly decurrent on the column-foot, strongly oblique, obovate, slightly acuminate, obtuse, 5-nerved, 0.7 by 0.4 cm. Petals obliquely oblong, slightly falcate, obtuse, concave, 5-nerved, inside especially near the base very sparsely puberulous-punctate, 0.68 by 0.28 cm. Lip making an acute angle with the column, slipper-shaped, 3-lobed, spurred, slightly curved, in lateral view obtusely angled triangular, in total 0.8 by 0.3 cm, from the apex of the mid-lobe to the apex of the spur 0.5 cm long, in basal half strongly concave with erect, very short and very broad lateral lobes that are rounded in front and that are provided with a finely erose tooth on their upper margins; mid-lobe continuing the front wall of the spur, held against the lateral lobes, minute, triangular, acute, at the base inside with a thick conical callus; spur continuing the line of the lip, porrect, conical, slightly dorsally compressed, at the apex slightly incurved, obtuse, at the apex with a septum, front wall inside below the mid-lobe with a large, erect, bidentate, concave appendage that is appressed to the back wall. Column slightly twisted, 0.38 cm long, up to the apex of the rostellum 0.6 cm long, at the base in front with a semiglobose callus; clinandrium strongly oblique, ovate, with a triangular tooth and three depressions; stigma deeply concave, ovate, acute; rostellum elongated, bipartite, curved, segments linear. Ovary curved, 6-grooved, covered with scale-hairs, 1.2 cm long. (After Smith, 1911 as Sarcanthus papuanus J.J.Sm.)

Colours: Sepals and petals cream colour, lip and column white.

Habitat: Epiphyte in swamp forest and rainforest, growing in exposed positions; 450 to 800 m.

Flowering time in the wild: April, May, September, October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Australia, Solomon Islands.

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 445-6M.JPG.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, requires light position.

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