Bulbophyllum saccolabioides

Bulbophyllum saccolabioides J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 449, pl. 72, fig. 96

Type: Lam 1830 (holo BO; iso L (fragments only))

Rhizome shrub-like, more than c. 5 cm long, covered with large, tubular, overlapping, acutely acuminate, keeled, c. 1 cm long sheaths. Roots appressed. Pseudobulbs secund, in two rows, terete, appressed to the rhizome, the appressed side concave, truncate, 0.4-0.6 by 0.2-0.22 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf slightly recurved, narrowly lanceolate, acute, fleshy, c. 3-3.7 by 0.6-0.8 cm; base narrowed and conduplicate, obtusely angled; median channelled with the sides slightly convex; underneath convex; top part underneath minutely impressed punctate. Inflorescences 1-flowered, many, fascicled; peduncle 0.35 cm long, entirely covered with small, clasping, membranous sheaths. Floral bract at the base tubular, obliquely infundibuliform-widened, acute-acuminate, keeled, membranous, 0.36 cm long. Flower very small, 0.38 cm long. Median sepal making an obtuse angle with the ovary, slightly incurved, somewhat 5-angular-ovate, acute, concave, 0.45 by 0.24 cm; margins very minutely papillose; nerves 3, dorsally slightly raised. Lateral sepals porrect, in basal half the facing margins tightly connate, obliquely ovate-elliptic, obtuse, shortly apiculate, concave, 3-nerved, 0.45 by 0.3 cm; upper half with the facing margins narrowly incurved; posterior margins minutely papillose. Petals very small, appressed to the column, porrect, 1-nerved, 0.23 by 0.15 cm; claw cuneate-oblong; top half transversely elliptic-dilated; top acuminate; margins of the dilated part crenulate, papillose. Lip mobile, slightly incurved, strongly concave, very shortly clawed, 3-lobed, when flattened pandurate, 0.28 by 0.18 cm over the lateral lobes; claw base rounded-notched, attached to the column-foot by a very short, thin ligament; lateral lobes erect, obliquely triangular, strongly falcate-recurved, obtuse, inside convex, somewhat fleshy; mid-lobe much larger, porrect, concave-channelled-conduplicate, eo labello 4-lobed, from a short, concave, transversely quadrangular, almost 0.05 by 0.1 cm big claw dilated in a transversely elliptic-oblong, on either side rounded blade with a truncate apex with a minute, obtuse median lobule, slightly more than 0.15 by 0.26 cm not counting the hairs; 3-nerved, the outer nerves branched. Column short, dorsally convex, 0.13 cm long; apex obtuse triangular; clinandrium concave; stelidia not surpassing the anther, triangular, slightly subulate-acuminate, falcate-incurved. Anther cucullate, orbicular, extended in a narrowly porrect, triangular, obtuse beak, 0.05 cm wide; connective fairly low, elliptic, in the middle depressed. Pollini 4, laterally compressed; outer ones elliptic, subobovate, outside convex, almost 0.05 cm long, the 2 inner ones much smaller and thinner.; rostellum short, rounded; stigma small, subquadrangular; column-foot making an obtuse angle with both column and ovary, very short, with free, truncate apex, 0.06 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.15 cm long; pedicel terete, 0.25 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)

Colours: Roots light green. Pseudobulbs light green. Leaf bright green. Sepals and petals pale yellow. Lip with an orange stain at the base, above light yellow. Column light lemon-yellow. Ovary greenish yellow.

Habitat: Epiphyte on open crest with few trees; 2145-3100 m.

Flowering time in the wild: October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-1621M.jpg.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte, requires light position.

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