Bulbophyllum tindemansianum

Bulbophyllum tindemansianum J.J.Verm., de Vogel & A.Vogel, Blumea 55 (2010) 284, fig. 4

Type: Leiden cult. 20081503 (holo L), from PNG, New Britain

Roots: most emerging close to the base of the rhizome. Rhizome stiffly patent to pendulous, up to 15 cm long, 3-4 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs up to 2 cm long, bracts persistent, fibrous. Pseudobulbs well spaced, obovoid, up to 1 by 0.5 cm. Leaf subsessile, ovate, 4-7 by 1.6-2.3 cm, index (length/width) 2.5-3.2; subacute, abaxially rugose. Inflorescence c. 2.5 cm long, 1-flowered. Peduncle c. 0.7 cm long, bracts 3, the longest c. 4 mm long. Floral bracts tubular at the base, c. 5 mm, acute. Flowers opening wide. Pedicel and ovary c. 11 mm long, basal node on a c. 6 mm-long stump. Median sepal spreading, elliptic-ovate, c. 10 by 5.5 mm, index 1.8; acute-apiculate, margins entire, base broadly attached; thick, glabrous. Lateral sepals as the median, but c. 10 by 6 mm, index 1.6-1.7. Petals porrect, approx. lyriform, c. 1.5 by 5 mm excluding appendages, index c. 0.3; margins with 11 appendages of 3 types (type 1: a cluster of 3 at the upper and lower edge; type 2: 3 scattered in between; type 3: 2 appendages in between those of type 1 and 2), base broadly attached; thin, glabrous; appendages of type 1 ovoid, 3.5-4 by 0.8 mm, abruptly narrowing into a stalk of 0.5-0.7 mm long, gradually narrowing towards a caudate tip, papillose; appendages of type 2 subulate, 3.2-3.5 by 0.1-0.2 mm, gradually narrowing into a stalk 0.5-0.8 mm long, tip acuminate to caudate; appendages of type three intermediate between type 1 and 2. Lip somewhat recurved, elliptic-oblong, c. 3.5 by 2.1 mm, index 1.6-1.7 (all without artificial spreading); obtuse, margins entire, glabrous but papillose distally; thick; adaxially concave proximally, the erect margins slightly converging then slightly diverging; with 2 narrow ridges running parallel close to the median line, furrow in between distally converting in a row of irregular pits; surface glabrous; abaxially convex and laterally extending beyond the margins, surface papillose, on the sides with a cluster of ellipsoid vesicles. Column c. 2.5 mm long, stigma oblong, with a slight swelling at its base, column foot without teeth near the tip. Stelidia porrect, triangular, c. 0.8 mm long, acute, with a denticulate upper margin, with a distinct, triangular, obtuse tooth which has the front margin folded inwards along the lower margin, and a minute tooth in front of this. Anther abaxially approx. without a crest, surface approx. glabrous, front margin drawn out into a truncate beak with erose margins. Pollinia 4; ovoid, without appendage, the inner c. 0.5 by as long as the outer. (After Vermeulen et al., in press)

Colours: Leaves dark green, slightly suffused with purple. Sepals coarsely spotted with reddish purple, the white underground visible only locally. Petals white, spotted reddish purple; appendages almost black. Lip blackish purple with a touch of green along the median line, on the adaxial side.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 850 m.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea; see map 96-2356M.jpg.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)