Nervilia aragoana Gaudich. in Freyc., Voy. Uranie, Bot. (1826) 422, t. 35
Type: Gaudichaud s.n. (Mariana Islands) (holo P)
Tuber obliquely globose, often somewhat compressed, 1.7-2.7 cm, consisting of a few internodes; roots short, 1.75 cm long, patent, pilose. Subterranean stem vertical, scaly, pilose, 1.8-3.8 cm long, with short, c. 0.8 cm long, pilose roots, emitting up to 12.5 or more cm long stolons from the nodes and from the leaf axil. Leaf petiolate; petiole 7-19 cm long, terete-angular, channelled; blade reniform, 6.5-10 by 8.7-15 cm, herbaceous, glabrous, with 12-16 prominent veins, base cordate, margins wavy, apex shortly triangular-acuminate. Inflorescence racemose, erect, 12-20 cm long, angular-terete, juicy, peduncle-scales c. 3, tubular, obtuse; rachis 4-10 cm long, angular, grooved, laxly 4- to 10-flowered. Floral bracts reflexed, lanceolate, 1.4-2.2 cm long, apex subacute. Pedicel 0.4 cm long, thin, 6-ribbed; ovary 0.4 cm long, obconical, sharply 3-angular, 6-grooved. Flowers more or less nodding, not widely opening. Median sepal linear-lanceolate, 1.4-1.5 by 0.25-0.3 cm, outside with 3 prominent veins, margins somewhat irregular, apex sharply acuminate. Lateral sepals obliquely linear-lanceolate, 1.4-1.5 by 0.3 cm, margins somewhat irregular, mid-rib prominent outside, apex sharply acuminate. Petals obliquely linear-lanceolate, 1.23-1.35 by 0.2-0.26 cm, margins somewhat irregular, apex subobtuse, apiculate, or acute. Lip 3-lobed, 1.3 by 0.76-0.95 cm, at the base with incurved margins, enveloping the column, inside with prominent and villose veins; lateral lobes erect, porrect, surpassing the column, obliquely triangular, subacute to acuminate; mid-lobe porrect, concave, semi-elliptic to transversely elliptic-quadrangular, 0.33-0.36 by 0.4-0.5 cm, with obtuse or often retuse more or less produced apex, margins more or less irregular. Column slightly sigmoid, clavate, 0.7-0.75 cm long; clinandrium deeply concave, 3-lobulate; stigma inversely triangular. Anther large, cucullate, 0.16 cm wide. Fruit nodding, ellipsoid, 3-angular, 6-ribbed, 1.1 by 0.75 cm. (After Smith, 1921)
Colours: Sepals and petals pale greenish, lip whitish, on the lateral obes with green or purplish veins.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest, sometimes in frequently inundated places; 0-500 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, April, August, September, October, November.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Is., Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, NW Himalaya to China, Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Mariana Islands, Society Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 479-3M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.