Bulbophyllum falcatocaudatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 13 (1914) 68
Type: Janowsky 105 (holo BO)
Rhizome creeping, branched, terete, slightly over 0.1 cm diam. Pseudobulbs 0.4-0.7 cm apart, making an acute angle with the rhizome, obliquely ovoid-conical, obtuse, longitudinally deeply 5-6-grooved, c. 1.1-1.6 by 0.44-0.73 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf narrowly lanceolate, thinly coriaceous, c. 3.7-7.2 by 0.7-0.9 cm; base narrowed and conduplicate; apex subacute or obtuse; midrib above grooved, underneath rather prominent. Inflorescences 1-flowered from the nodes of the rhizome, solitary or few-fascicled, erect, c. 3-.5-4.3 cm long; peduncle filiform; at the base with small, tubular, acute, keeled sheaths. Floral bract tubular, apiculate, keeled, 0.2 cm long. Flower medium size. Median sepal lanceolate, concave, long and very thinly ciliate, 3-nerved, c. 1.4 cm long; apex thinly subulate-acuminate, 0.37 cm long; the part without the cilii to 0.1 by 0.4 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely elliptic-oblong, c. 2.2 by slightly over 0.7 cm; apex contracted in a falcate-incurved, linear-subulate, not clavate, channelled, 0.78 cm long tail; outer margin very shortly papillose-finely ciliate, inner margin long ciliate; dorsally minutely papillose, 4-nerved. Petals very small, falcate-elliptic, shortly acuminate, acute, convex, 1-nerved, 0.43 by 0.25 cm; margins papillose-finely ciliate, lower margin above the base strongly recurved. Lip attached by a ligament near the apex of the column-foot, mobile, in total almost 0.6 cm by 0.13 cm; hypochile falcate-recurved, laterally compressed, when seen from the side nearly semiorbicular, its base at the back extended in 2 parallel, obliquely rounded lobes, the sides patent-puberulous, its upper side with a small channel between two keels, in front narrowed, underneath with a triangular hollow; epichile pointing downwards, straight, linear, obtuse, convex, slightly over 0.4 by almost 0.03 cm. Column at the base callose-thickened, 0.18 cm long; clinandrium hollow, filament short; stelidia long subulate, slightly falcate. Anther cucullate, 0.06 cm long; apex dilated, incurved, truncate; connective thickened; stigma decurrent on the thickening of the column; column-foot making an obtuse angle with the ovary, with long free apex, incurved, its apex diverging in 2 triangular, strongly dilated, truncate arms, when not flattened 0.14 by 0.07 cm at the apex. Ovary 6-grooved, sparsely puncticulate, 0.4 cm long; pedicel 0.7 cm long, 0.13 cm above the base articulate. (After Smith, 1916)
Colours: Flower yellow with light violet lip.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-619M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.