Phreatia scaphioglossa

Phreatia scaphioglossa Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 192

Type: Schlechter 14648 (holo B, lost)

Epiphytic, erect, unbranched, 10-13 cm high; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stem very short, almost lacking, 6-8-leaved, entirely covered with the leaf-sheaths. Leaves erect-patent, ligulate, obtuse, glabrous, gradually narrowed towards the base, subcoriaceous, 6-11 cm long, near the middle 0.8-1 cm wide. Inflorescence erect, slender, with a few small, distant, laxly clasping peduncle-scales; longer than the leaves; rachis laxly many-flowered, elongated, cylindrical, to 6 cm long, c. 1 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts spathulate, at the apex cucullate-incurved, shortly acuminate, glabrous, shorter than the ovary. Flowers hardly 0.15 cm diam., incurved. Median sepal ovate, obtuse, glabrous. Lateral sepals oblique, as long as the median sepal, dilated along the front margins towards the base, glabrous. Petals obliquely ovate, obtuse, a little shorter than the median sepal. Lip at the base broadly linear-clawed, abruptly dilated into a subreniform, broadly obtuse, at the apex slightly notched blade, hardly longer than the sepals. Column short, foot elongated; clinandrium dorsally widened; rostellum suberect, at the apex shortly bifid. Anther almost reniform, in front very shortly acuminate; pollinia 8, obliquely pear-shaped; stipe linear, longer than the pollinia; viscidium lanceolate. Ovary slender pedicellate, clavate, glabrous, c. 0.25 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1905)

Colours: Flowers pure white.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 500 to 600 m.

Flowering time in the wild: July.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 549-229M.JPG.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.

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