Trichotosia bracteata (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 24 (1970) 92
Basionym: Eria bracteata
Epiphytic, patent, up to 80 cm long; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, minutely papillose-puberulous. Stems unbranched, terete, leafy, c. 1 cm diam., with the leaf-sheaths closely appressed, entirely covering the stem. Leaves erect-patent, elliptic, obliquely acuminate, on either shortly subvillose-puberulous, above eventually becoming almost glabrous, 8-16 cm long, near the middle 2.8-4.5 cm wide. Inflorescences pendulous as long as the leaves, laxly 8-14-flowered, carrying flowers to near the base, villose. Floral bracts patent, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, the lower ones surpassing the flowers, the upper ones equalling the flowers. Flowers outside villose. Sepals oblong, narrowly obtuse, inside glabrous, 1.3 cm long. Lateral sepals falcate, at the base along the anterior margins lobed-dilated; mentum oblongoid, obtuse incurved, 0.7 cm long. Petals falcate-ligulate, obtuse, in basal half sparsely pilose, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base cuneate, above the middle 3-lobed, c. 1 cm long, between the apices of the lateral lobes 0.8 cm wide; basal keel verruculose, acute extending to the base of the mid-lobe; lateral lobes very small, obliquely triangular, narrowly obtuse, in front truncate; mid-lobe much larger, square, notched in front, somewhat undulate, inside near the apex with a thin keel. Column semiterete, dorsally sparsely pilose. Column-foot ligulate, somewhat incurved; clinandrium with rounded lateral lobes, median lobe short, tooth-like. Anther reniform-cucullate, umbonate, glabrous, notched in front. Ovary sessile, villose, 0.7 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Hairs yellowish brown. Flowers yellowish tinged red, the lip darker so.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland and hill forest; 50 to 670 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, April, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 704-11M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.