Bulbophyllum macranthum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1844) t. 13
Type: Loddiges cult. s.n. (Singapore) (holo lost?; lecto: plate 13 in Bot. Reg., see Vermeulen 1991)
Rhizome 3-6 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs 4-12 cm long, bract fibres thick, persistent. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 1-4 by 0.7-1.5 cm. Petiole 1.5-4.5 cm. Leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 11-28 by 2.5-6.6 cm, index (length/width) 2.8-6.4; rounded to obtuse. Flowers widely opening. Median sepal about reflexed, elliptic to (ob-)ovate, 16-33 by 6-12 mm, index 2.3-4; acute to acuminate, base narrowly attached. Lateral sepals free, porrect but converging and (almost) touching towards the tip, ovate to triangular, 15-32 by 6-12 mm, index 2-3.5, base widely attached; otherwise as the median sepal. Petals spreading to reflexed, elliptic to (ob-)ovate, 13-29 by 4-8 mm, index 1.9-5.2; acute to acuminate, base narrowly attached. Lip recurved c. half-way, triangular with a drawn-out, narrowly linguiform top part, 4-8 by 2.5-5 mm, index 1.3-2.8 (all without artificial spreading); rounded to subacute, margins with an acute angle above the base when the lip is observed in lateral view; thick; adaxially moderately concave and with two rather distinct, proximally diverging, rather thin ridges over most of its length, convex towards the tip; abaxially with a retuse ridge over most of its length, top part c. convex. Column 3-6 mm long, c. straight in profile, stigma without teeth at the base; column foot without ridges. Stelidia porrect, triangular, 0.8-2 mm long, rounded to subacute, lower margin with a deltoid, rounded wing in the proximal half of the column. (After Vermeulen, ms.)
Colours: Sepals and petals cream coloured, lateral sepals yellowish along the lower margin and suffused red towards the tip. Median seapl and petals with red spots; lateral sepals with red spots only along the upper margin. Lip yellowish. Flowers with a strong, sweet or spicy scent.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 60-1150 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines), Thailand, Cambodia, ?Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Solomon Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea; see map 96-1075M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.