Phaius montanus Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 374
Type: Schlechter 17348 (B, lost); 18256 (B, lost; NB: Number also used for Dendrobium trachyrhizum); 19135 (iso BO, L); 19596 (B, lost); 20084 (B, lost)
Terrestrial, erect, 60-80 cm high. Rhizome very short. Roots flexuose, terete, shortly finely villose. Pseudobulbs elliptic, about terete, up to 4 cm long, up to 1.8 cm diam., 4- to 6-leaved. Leaves erect-patent, petiolate; blade elliptic, up to 70 by 12 cm, acuminate, with several nerves, base cuneate, gradually narrowed into the petiole; petiole at the base dilated, sheathing, to 40 cm long. Inflorescence erect, straight or nearly so, to 80 cm long, terete, glabrous; peduncle with a few, distant, long-clasping, acuminate scales; rachis laxly 6- to 15-flowered, erect, to 30 cm long. Floral bracts soon falling off, elliptic, acute, covering the flower when not entirely opened. Flowers patent, becoming pendent. Sepals lanceolate-elliptic, acuminate, glabrous, c. 4 cm long, in the middle 1-1.2 cm wide. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals obliquely ligulate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous, almost as long as the sepals but distinctly narrower, near the middle c. 0.8 cm wide. Lip at the base concave, puberulous, broadly cuneate, in the apical third 3-lobed, c. 4 cm long, when flattened between the apices of the lateral lobes 3 cm wide; lateral lobes erect, obliquely triangular, obtuse; mid-lobe almost square-orbicular, apiculate, 1.2 cm long; in the centre of the lip with two short parallel keels, with a third median keel extending from the middle to the mid-lobe. Column semiterete, just below the apex somewhat dilated, glabrous, c. 2.2 cm long. Anther broadly ovate-cucullate, glabrous; pollinia obliquely clavate. Ovary and pedicel glabrous, clavate, c. 3 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Sepals and petals outside yellowish, inside brown. Lip white, red near the apex. Column rose-red.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lower montane forest; 80 to 1600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September.
Distribution: Malesia (Moluccas, New Guinea), Solomon Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 544-78M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.