Spathoglottis aurea Lindl., J. Roy. Hort. Soc. 5 (1850) 34
Type: Veitch cult. (Malay Peninsula, Malacca) (holo K)
Leaves petiolate; blade lanceolate, including the petiole 30-50 by 2.5-4 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, to 60 cm long, glabrous; peduncle-scales few, open, acute; rachis few-flowered. Floral bracts concave, scarcely as long as the pedicel, apex acute, glabrous. Flowers c. 3 cm diam. Median sepal oblong, apex acute. Lateral sepals oblong, apex acute. Petals oblong, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed, more or less cruciform when flattened at the base; callus bilobed, obovate, obtusely semi-twisted, sparsely hairy; lateral lobes linear, obtusely falcate, curved in front; mid-lobe linear-lanceolate, narrow, folded at apex, at the base with two triangular lobules, apex acute when flattened; smaller than the column. (After Howcroft, 1992).
Colours: Sepals and petals golden yellow tinged with purple, lateral lobes of lip purple; floral bracts greenish brown.
Habitat: Terrestrial on open slopes; 1750 to 2100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, April, May, December.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea), Vietnam.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 652-7M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, requires light position.