Oberonia linearis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 164
Basionym: Oberonia stenophylla
Epiphytic, erect or spreading, 15-20 cm high, several-stemmed. Roots filiform, flexuose, smooth. Stems flexuose, at the very base decumbent and covered with cataphylls, rather laxly 9-15 leaved, covered with leaf-sheaths. Leaves erect-patent, equitant, narrowly linear, acuminate, sheathing at the base, sheaths ancipitous, with long-connate margins. Inflorescence densely many-flowered, cylindrical, 5-7 cm long, 0.4 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, slightly longer than the ovary. Flowers almost whorled, patent. Sepals subacute, glabrous, almost 0.01 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals ovate or ovate-lanceolate, subacute, almost as large as the sepals. Lip at the base concave, subcordate-auriculate, in outline oblong-quadrate, hardly 0.15 cm long, 3-lobed in the apical part, the lobes triangular, with the lateral lobes more than twice as long as the mid-lobe. Column short, rather thick, slightly dilated towards the apex, without rostellum. Anther rounded, in front very shortly acuminate. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 0.1 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1905)
Colours: Flowers brownish golden yellow or red-brown.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest, growing in shaded positions, sometimes close to the ground; 250 to 700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, April, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 485-194M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.