Bulbophyllum serrulatifolium J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 446, pl. 72, fig. 93
Type: Lam 1394 (holo L; iso BO)
Epiphyte, very small. Rhizome creeping, very short, rooting. Pseudobulbs close together, making an acute angle with the rhizome, oblong-ovoid, obtuse, 0.35-0.4 by 0.1 3-0.15 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf linear, frequently falcate, obtuse, apiculate, c. 3.1-4.5 by 0.07-0.2 cm; base gradually narrowed and conduplicate; median obtusely angled, channelled; above flat; apex papillose-subserrulate. Inflorescences 1-flowered, from the base of the pseudobulbs; peduncle filiform, c. 1.35-1.6 cm long, at the base with a few small, tubular sheaths. Floral bract almost entirely enclosing the ovary, funnel-shaped, obliquely truncate, apiculate, 0.13 cm long. Flower very small, slightly pointing backwards, slightly more than 0.6 cm long. Median sepal triangular-lanceolate, concave, 3-nerved, 0.46 by 0.12 cm; top narrowed, acute, laterally compressed-apiculate. Lateral sepals connate in a synsepal, forming a short, conical, broadly obtuse, saccate mentum, above the base strongly recurved, oblong-triangular, concave, 3-nerved, 0.46 by almost 0.1 cm at the base; apex acute, bidentate. Petals porrect, parallel, appressed to the column, obliquely lanceolate, slightly falcate, threadlike-acuminate, 1-nerved, 0.3 by 0.06 cm; top of the blade on either side with 1 or few narrow, acute, sometimes opposite teeth. Lip strongly mobile, inserted by a moderately long, linear ligament underneath near the apex of the column-foot, 3-lobed, narrow, 3-nerved, when flattened in total 0.38 cm long, over the lateral lobes almost 0.1 cm wide; basal auricles 2, minute, reversed, slightly falcate-divergent, narrowly oblong, obtuse, slightly concave; above the base obtusely angled, slightly recurved; lateral lobes erect, obliquely semiorbicular, the front margin hardly extended, with minutely irregular margins, inside slightly convex, outside slightly concave; median from base to beyond the apex with a longitudinal, obtuse rib; mid-lobe straight, lanceolate, obtuse, above and underneath thickened except the margins in the basal part, the margins rather long patent ciliate, almost 0.3 by 0.08 cm, over the cilii 0.13 cm. Column short, making an obtuse angle with the ovary, in total 0.13 cm long; clinandrium hollow, suborbicular, filament filiform-elongated, at the base triangular; stelidia long subulate-filiform, sigmoid, much longer than the anther; stigma conspicuous, deeply concave, longitudinal, elliptic, decurrent along the column-foot; column-foot making an obtuse angle with the ovary and the column, short, broad, near the apex dilated, slightly incurved, constricted, its apex truncate, slightly 3-lobed, the median lobule rather broad equal sided trapezium-shaped, the outer lobules obtuse, 0.08 by 0.06 cm at the apex. Anther cucullate, in outline suborbicular, 0.04 cm wide; base rounded-bilobulate, papillose; apex slightly contracted in a transversely quadrangular beak base with extended, truncate, subretuse apex; connective gibbose. Pollinia united in a subsemiglobose body. Ovary slightly recurved, 6-grooved, 0.1 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Leaves bright green. Pseudobulbs somewhat darker green. Inflorescences light green. Sepals and petals light violet, darker at the base. Lip dark violet. Column pale green with rosy tip. Ovary light green.
Habitat: Epiphyte in riverine lowland forest; 200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-1688M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.