Poaephyllum trilobum

Poaephyllum trilobum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 18 (1935) 35, pl. 7, fig. 19

Type: Docters van Leeuwen 10230 (syn BO; iso L); 10337 (syn BO; iso L)

Rhizome short; roots thin, puberulous. Stems closely spaced, elongated, simple, laterally flattened, to 58 cm long, internodes 0.55-0.6 cm long, the apical ones to 0.4 cm long. Leaves rather strongly patent, linear, at the apex more or less unequally obtusely triangular-bidentate, with a longer mucro between the teeth, at the base conduplicate-channelled, densely veined, to 3.4-4.5-5 by 0.35-0.6-0.4 cm, the upper and the basal leaves decreasing in size; sheaths tubular, laterally flattened, at the apex in front deeply notched, appressed, 0.3-0.4 cm wide. Inflorescences axillary, perforating two sheaths, laxly many-flowered; peduncle appressed to the stem, partly covered by the third sheath, branched, thin, with small peduncle-scales, branches erect, thin, 1.6-2.3 cm long; rachis elongated, flexuose, filiform, 3.1-6 cm long, 10-18-flowered. Floral bracts very small, persistent, patent, clasping the rachis, obliquely cup-shaped, broadly triangular, apiculate, concave, 0.13 cm long. Flowers turned to all sides, opening in succession, 0.85 cm wide, slightly more than 0.7 cm long. Median sepal erect, making an obtuse angle with the ovary, oblong, obtuse, minutely apiculate, slightly concave, 3-nerved, 0.48 by 0.23 cm. Lateral sepals decurrent on the column-foot, patent, front margins at the base divergent, making an acute angle, with the front margin in the basal part slightly rounded-dilated, in outline obliquely triangular, obtuse, minutely apiculate, concave, 3-nerved, mid-rib dorsally rather prominent, 0.5 cm long, along the front margin almost 0.7 cm long, at the base 0.35 cm wide; mentum pointing downwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, straight, broad, subtruncate, 0.27 cm long. Petals erect-patent, obliquely oblong, obtuse, in apical 3/5 erose, slightly concave, 1-nerved, on either side of the nerve with an additional nerve that does not reach the base, somewhat undulate, 0.46 by almost 0.2 cm. Lip inserted at the apex of the column-foot, erect, concave, 0.43 by 0.25 cm, when flattened in outline 5-angled, 0.6 cm long, to the tips of the lateral lobes 0.43 cm long, at the base 0.22 cm wide, in the apical part 0.4 cm wide, in about the apical third abruptly recurved, 3-lobed, 3-nerved, inside in the basal 2/5 papillose except for the margins and the base, in the basal part with a triangular, backwards pointing, convex, at its base puberulous callus extending to the base; lateral lobes erect, rounded-rectangular; mid-lobe abruptly recurved, when flattened on either side separated by an introrse fold from the lateral lobes, ovate, 0.16 by 0.18 cm, obtuse, at the apex with a conspicuous, broadly ovate, convex callus which at the base is produced in a small rib that ends between the sinuses. Column erect, making an obtuse angle with the ovary, rather slender, slightly curved, dorsally flattened, oblong, dorsally convex, in front concave and papillose, without anther 0.28 cm long; clinandrium strongly concave, transverse, with irregular margin, back wall very short, retuse, with a minute hump in the middle, auricles porrect, surpassing the apex, triangular; stigma transversely elliptic; column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, straight, linear-oblong, truncate, concave, densely puberulous, 0.28 cm long. Anther cucullate, quadrangular, at the apex shortly subtruncate-bilobulate with a minute tooth in the broad sinus, dorsally truncate, 0.12 cm wide; pollinia unequal, united into two obliquely subclavate, in the apical part cohering, at the base divergent, almost 0.1 cm long bodies. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.4 cm long. (After Smith, 1935)

Colours: Flower white, sometimes tinged red, column in front below the stigma violet.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 250 to 300 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 565-10M.JPG.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.

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