Bulbophyllum digitatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 2 (1911) 18
Type: Kock, de 10; 11
Epiphyte. Rhizome creeping, terete; covered with fibres which are the remains of the sheaths. Pseudobulbs ovoid, c. 1.35-2.3 by 0.95-1.2 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf erect, petiolate, elliptic-lanceolate, acute-acuminate, coriaceous, in total c. 6.5-14.5 by 1.85-4.25 cm; margins slightly recurved; midrib above grooved, keeled below; petiole conduplicate, c. 1.5-3 cm long. Inflorescences elongated, laxly 2-3-flowered; peduncle subcompressed, c. 12 cm long or more; rachis puncticulate, c. 2.2-4.8 cm long. Floral bracts conduplicate-concave, semiorbicular-ovate, acutely acuminate, keeled, very minutely furfuraceous punctate, membranous, 0.73 by 0.7 cm. Flowers rather large, c. 4.2 cm long, the sepals dorsally minutely furfuraceous-puncticulate. Median sepal erect, narrowly ovate, acute, strongly concave, c. 1.95 by 0.7 cm; nerves 3, dorsally prominent. Lateral sepals inserted somewhat beyond the middle of the column-foot, porrect, obliquely lanceolate, slightly falcate, acute, concave, conduplicate, keeled, c. 2.7 by 0.75 cm; outer margins somewhat above the base obtusely angled. Petals widely patent, obliquely spathulate, convex, 1-nerved, in total 0.83 cm long; base narrowly decurrent on the column-foot; claw 0.68 cm long, above the base 0.2 cm wide near the apex 0.13 cm wide, slightly tapering towards the widened, 3-toothed top part; 0.27 cm wide, lateral lobes sepals obliquely ovate-triangular, obtusely angled, convex, papillose, median lobule somewhat smaller, triangular, 0.07 cm long. Lip mobile, strongly curved, laterally compressed; on upper side with two high, erect keels and a furrow in between, in which a low, narrow, rounded median keel; underneath longitudinally grooved; apex truncate, subretuse, with a curved upwards, lip 0.5 cm long. Column making an obtuse angle with the ovary, including the anther 0.4 cm long; filament and auricles short, triangular, tooth-like; stigma quadrangular; stelidia large, hardly divergent, oblong, truncate-obtuse 0.2 cm long, each with 2 teeth along the lower margin, a small, triangular, acute tooth near the tip and a distinct, oblong, rounded truncate tooth lower down; column-foot making an obtuse angle with the ovary, porrect, linear, much elongated, slightly curved, its apex incurved, truncate, apical 2/5th part free, in the basal part flat, above convex, when not flattened 0.8 cm long. Anther cucullate, 0.16 cm wide; apex wide, obtuse, minutely denticulate; connective ribbed-thickened. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.5 cm long; including the pedicel c. 1.3 cm long, minutely furfuraceous-finely punctate. (After Smith, 1913)
Colours: Flower white; lip (or the median sepal?) wine-red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 900 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-515M.jpg.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.