Bulbophyllum arfakense

Bulbophyllum arfakense J.J.Sm. in L.S.Gibbs, Phytogeogr. Fl. Arfak Mts. (1917) 122

Type: Gibbs 5663 (holo BM)

Rhizome creeping, rooting; sheathing. Pseudobulbs c. 0-6-1 cm apart, at acute angles to the rhizome, probably ovoid, when dried 1-8 cm long; 1-leaved. Leaf erect, petiolate, narrowly lanceolate, c. 8-10 by 1.3 cm, subacute; base gradually narrowed into the petiole, midrib when dried above grooved, below prominent, coriaceous; petiole channelled, c. 1-3-2 cm long. Inflorescence 1-flowered, peduncle thin, c. 2.2 cm long; at the base with a few small, tubular, acute, keeled peduncle-scales. Floral bract tubular, acuminate, acute, slightly over 0.6 cm long. Median sepal linear-lanceolate, concave, apex, margins incurved, very shortly acuminate, 3-nerved, almost 2.2 by 0.4 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, shortly acuminate, front margin narrowly incurved, 3-nerved, c. 2.1 by 0.55 cm. Petals very small, appressed to the column, obliquely lanceolate-triangular, gradually acuminate, slightly falcate; apex recurved and convex, 1-nerved, 0.32 cm long; slightly over 0.1 cm wide. Lip immobile, almost straight, slightly sigmoid, spathulate-laneeolatum, in total 1.45 cm long; claw linear-oblong; at the base with 2 erect, obtuse, at the back transversely connected, hollow-concave lobules; base hollow, 0.35 cm long; underneath longitudinally grooved, marginal grooves on the blade passing into narrow, parallel, longitudinal, thin, awl-shaped ribs that vanish towards the apex; blade narrowly elliptic, obtuse, strongly convex, papillose. Column rather slender, curved, 0.44 cm long; at the base of the stigma below the middle of the column with a triangular laterally compressed callus; apex (filament) recurved, making an obtuse angle with the column, triangular, acute, concave; clinandrium concave, laterally dilated, obliquely quadrangular, dentate. Anther cucullate; connective longitudinally thickened; stigma longitudinal. Column-foot short, 0.13 om long, swollen into a transverse, fleshy, broadly obtuse callus that fits into the basal cavity of the lip; underneath the callus produced into an incurved, narrowly oblong extension that is attached to the lip. Ovary slightly curved, 6-grooved, 0.43 cm long; pedicel slender, articulated at 0.35 cm above the base, 2 cm long. (After Smith, 1917)

Colours: Sepals brown, lip shading to yellow.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 2000-2100 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September, December.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-135M.jpg.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.

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