Phaius flavus (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1831) 128
Basionym: Limodorum flavum
Pseudobulbs conical, angular, with few internodes, 5 cm long, 1.7 cm diam., in the basal part covered with cataphylls, at the apex narrowed into a pseudostem formed by the overlapping leaf-sheaths, c. 4-leaved. Leaves linear-lanceolate, towards the apex long narrowed, acute, underneath with c. 5 prominent main nerves, with numerous thin veins in between, 13-25 cm long, 1.6-2.5 cm wide; sheaths tubular, angular, 12-13 cm long. Inflorescences arising from the basal part of the pseudobulbs, above a leaf-axil, erect, elongated, laxly few-flowered; peduncle subterete, 33 cm long, in the basal part 0.6 cm diam.; peduncle-scales small, c. 6, becoming larger upwards and more distant, tubular, shortly acuminate, furfuraceous, to 3.2 cm long; rachis grooved, sparsely furfuraceous, 5.5 cm long or more. Floral bracts persistent, lanceolate-triangular, acuminate, concave, with dorsally prominent mid-rib, furfuraceous, to 2.1 cm long, at the base 0.75 cm wide. Flowers c. 7. Sepals dorsally sparsely furfuraceous-punctate. Median sepal narrowly oblong, in the apical part slightly dilated, obtuse, concave, 7-9-nerved, 3.1 by 1 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, slightly falcate, subobtuse, apiculate, concave, dorsally keeled, with the basal margins clasping the spur, 9-nerved, 2.9 by about 1 cm. Petals obliquely subobovate-oblong, slightly falcate, at the apex pointed, with subobtuse tip, narrowed towards the base, concave, at the base 5-6-nerved, 2.9 by 1.15 cm. Lip clasping the column, at the base shortly adnate to it, there pubescent inside, spurred, 3-lobed, in the apical part recurved and strongly transversely plicate, underneath longitudinally grooved, inside with 3 keels that gradually vanish towards the base and towards the apex, with the proximal part of the keels puberulous, lip when flattened 3.25 cm long, blade 2.7-2.9 by 2.6-2.7 cm; spur pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, conical-oblong, obtuse, slightly curved, inside pubescent, 0.7 cm long; lateral lobes erect, with short free apex, rounded, concave, strongly plicate; mid-lobe a little longer than the lateral lobes, short, broad, rounded-bilobed, concave, strongly plicate, crenate, 0.4 by 1.1 cm. Column stout, slightly curved, triangular, with slightly recurved margins, in front long pilose, at the apex with a few long hairs, the apex broadly triangular, obtuse, 1.9 cm long, auricles shorter than apex of the column, rounded. Anther transversely cucullate, obtuse, 0.4 cm wide; pollinia laterally flattened. Ovary 6-grooved, minutely furfuraceous-punctate, 1.9 cm long; pedicel twisted, 1.5 cm long. (After Smith, 1915)
Colours: Flower sulphur-yellow, lip with brown margins.
Habitat: Terrestrial in montane grassland and forest; 1860 to 2700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, March, April, June, July, December.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines, trop. Asia), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal to China (excl. Sri Lanka), Japan, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Samoa.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 544-34M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial.