Oberonia fissipetala

Oberonia fissipetala Mansf., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 62 (1929) 462

Type: Keysser 81 (holo B, lost)

Erect, to 12 cm tall. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, glabrous. Stem 4- to 5-leaved, 3-6 cm long, with rather distant leaves. Leaves erect-patent, falcate-linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed towards the apex, 4-8 by 0.3-0.4 cm, acute, at the base membranous-winged. Inflorescence up to 6 cm long, densely many-flowered. Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, entire. Pedicels c. 0.18 cm long. Flowers very small, almost whorled, closely spaced. Median sepal ovate, obtuse, 0.11 by 0.08 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, obtuse, 0.1 by 09 cm. Petals 0.11 by 0.06 cm, obovate-spathulate, margins especially in the apical part rather deeply slit. Lip 0.12 by 0.11 cm, 3-lobulate, base cordate, lateral lobes very small, apical margins erose-dentate, mid-lobe much larger , obcordate-obovate, with erose-dentate margins, 0.1 by 0.08 cm. (After Mansfeld, 1929)

Colours: Not recorded.

Habitat: Probably epiphytic in upper montane forest; 3000 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not recorded.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 485-119M.JPG.

Cultivation: Cool growing epipyhte.

Notes: The stated altitude may be incorrect, as many of Keysser's collections apparently were routinely labelled as having been found at 3000 m even though they must have come from much lower elevations.

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