Plocoglottis sakiensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 405
Type: Schlechter 18285 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, K, L, MO, NSW, S)
Roots 0.1-0.2 (-0.3) cm diameter, rather thick, densely pubescent, not branching. Rhizome creeping, 0.6-1.5 cm diameter, internodes up to 7. Pseudobulbs 1.1-3.4 cm long apart, 4.3-11 by 0.31-0.4 (-0.8) cm, round in cross section, narrowly conical to cylindrical, internodes 2-4, 1.2-3.2(-7.4) cm long; 1-2 leaved. Sheaths 3-5. Leaves petiolate; leaf sheath if present 6.8-10.2 cm long, petiole 4.4-7.9(-13.1) cm long, channelled, blade 18.5-35.6 by 4.5-7.8 (-10) cm (index 3-5), ovate to linear-elliptic, thin-textured, base cuneate, apex acute-acuminate to acuminate, glabrous, with 3-5 prominent veins. Inflorescence 1(-2) from base of pseudobulb, 18.7-41.7 cm long, laxly 4-13 (-15)-flowered; peduncle 11.2-22.8 (-45) by 0.12-0.21 cm, sparsely pubescent, internodes 2-4, 0.9-11.4 cm long; peduncle scales 0.9-3.8 cm long, tubular, sparsely pubescent, with many distinct veins; rachis 6.5-24.7 by 0.1-0.2 cm, densely pubescent, internodes 2-10 (-13), 0.9-7.8 cm long. Bract; sterile bract none to 3, bract size 0.56-1.7 by 0.5-0.6 cm, triangular, patent, concave, falcate, apex acuminate, densely pubescent. Flowers 0.6-2.2 cm wide, opening in succession. Median sepal 1.18-1.6 by 0.31-0.52 cm, broadly elliptic to lanceolate, strongly concave, sparsely pubescent, thin-textured, 4-7 distinct veins, apex (sub) acute. Lateral sepals 1.2-1.88 by 0.45-0.6 cm, lanceolate, thin-textured, concave, slightly falcate, very sparsely pubescent, with 5-8 distinct veins, base broadly cuneate, with short sac, apex acute to acuminate. Petals 0.9-1.5 by 0.1-0.2 cm, linear, somewhat falcate, very sparsely pubescent on abaxial side, thin-textured, with the distinct mid-vein, the two lateral veins indistinct, base broadly cuneate, apex acute-acuminate. Lip 0.9-1.2 by 0.6-1 cm, adnate to column-foot with basal lamellae, subquadrangular, with 8-10 distinct veins, at base with a small sac formed by column-foot and lip base 0.2 cm long, with two flat, rather thick, laterally projecting basal lamellae, grooved along the median on the adaxial side, on the adaxial side in the middle with two thin lamellate keels 0.3 by 0.1 cm, lateral margins thin, erose-serrulate near apical angles, apex truncate, in the middle with a 0.2 cm long, triangular, acute acumen, glabrous. Column 0.7-1.2 by 0.11-0.34 cm, clavate, dorsally sparsely pubescent. Anther 0.29-0.23 cm long, ovate in outline, apical margin erose, apex acute, glabrous, long keel. Stigma obovate, rostellum elliptic. Pollinia 0.1 by 0.09 cm, orbicular in lateral view. Pedicel with ovary 1.1-2.2 by 0.1-0.2 cm, clavate, densely pubescent. (After Eang Hourt, unpublished manuscript 2004)
Colours: Pseudobulb dark purple, olive-green, leaves dark blue-green above, purple (-green) below; peduncle pale-green, mottled and flushed purple-maroon; bract purple-green; ovary yellow-green, spotted purple-maroon; sepals olive-green, spotted purple-maroon, petals pale greenish-cream, spotted purple-maroon, lip cream, spotted purple.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest; 300 to 800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: August, September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 564-47M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.