Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45 (1911) 403
Basionym: Arethusa plicata
Terrestrial, erect, slender, 16-32 cm high. Tuber globose. Leaves shortly petiolate, broadly ovate or subreniform, cordate, subobtuse, puberulous above, 2.5-4.5 cm long, below the middle 2.7-5 cm wide, with c. 12 nerves, the latter on upper side of the leaf keeled-thickened and puberulous; petiole grooved, 1-2 cm long. Inflorescence straight or nearly so, terete, glabrous, below the middle with 3, long-clasping, subobtuse or apiculate sheaths, terete, glabrous, at the apex 2-flowered (very rarely 3-flowered). Floral bracts spreading, lanceolate, subacute, glabrous, usually as long as the pedicel with ovary. Flowers pendent. Sepals ligulate, acute, in upper half somewhat dilated, glabrous, 3.2 cm long; lateral sepals oblique. Petals very similar to the sepals, acute, glabrous, oblique, 3 cm long. Lip narrowed at the base, in outline broadly ovate-quadrate, at the apex bilobed-notched, glabrous and unadorned, 2 cm long, below the middle 1.5 cm wide. Column slender, dilated towards the apex, glabrous, 1.2 cm long. Anther rhomboid-cucullate, glabrous. Ovary 6-ribbed, glabrous, clavate, including the pedicel 0.9 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Leaves dark red. Sepals and petals usually brown, lip rose-red, deeper so towards the apex, with a yellow longitudinal median line, sometimes sepals and petals yellowish and lip white.
Habitat: Terrestrial in primary and secondary forest, forest margins and Imperata grassland; 0 to 500 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, April, September, November.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, Philippines), Laos, Vietnam, Sikkim, India (Deccan, Bengal), Burma, China, Australia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 479-64M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires light to shaded position.