Bulbophyllum grandiflorum Blume, Rumphia 4 (1849) 42, pl. 195, fig. 3, pl. 199
Type: Zippel 70 (New Guinea) (holo L)
Rhizome creeping, branching, 4-6 mm diam; roots 0.2-0.3 cm diam., arising mainly below the pseudobulbs. Pseudobulbs 2-6 cm apart, 1-leaved, narrowly ovoid to conical, 3-7 by 1.2-2 cm, when older 4- to 5-angled. Leaves petiolate; petiole 2 cm long; blade oblong to lanceolate, 8-18 by 3.5-6.5 cm, thick coriaceous, apex usually recurved, acute. Inflorescences from rhizome, usually at base of pseudobulb, 1-flowered, erect; peduncle 10-20 cm long, with 3-4 peduncle-scales. Floral bract 3 cm long. Pedicel 3-5 cm long; ovary 2 cm long, 6-grooved. Flower 7-15 cm long. Median sepal oblong-ovate, 8-12 by 4-6.5 cm, apex obtuse, apiculate. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong-ovate, falcate, shorter than median sepal, 2.8-4 cm wide, apex obtuse, apiculate. Petals triangular, 0.3-0.4 by 0.2 cm, margins recurved, apex acute. Lip ligulate, widened to the base, keeled below, laterally flattened, in lateral view obliquely ovate, 0.6-0.7 long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide at the base, with long marginal hairs, in front covered with long, silky white hairs; very mobile, decurved. Column short and stout, 0.4 cm long; column-foot 0.8 cm long, incurved. (After O'Byrne, 1994 and Van Bodegom, 1973)
Colours: Sepals yellowish brown with translucent whitish, angular blotches; petals green with darker green stripes and purple spots; lip white with purple spots. Column light green with purple dots, especially on the column-foot.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 0-1600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, April, May, June, July, August.
Distribution: Malesia (?Sumatra, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea), Solomon Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-758M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.