Cadetia lacorum

Cadetia lacorum (P.Royen) Schuit., Blumea 39 (1994) 235.

Basionym: Dendrobium lacorum.

Roots to more than 25 cm long, 1-2 mm diameter. Rhizome very short. Pseudobulbs crowded, broadly cylindrical, smoothly 4-ribbed, 8-18 mm long, 3-6 mm diameter (often c. 2 mm diameter in dried material). Leaf elliptic, index 2-4.4, 1.3-2.2 cm by 5-9 mm, base cuneate-subpetiolate, apex obtuse, minutely bilobulate, mucronate, mucro longer than the lobules. Inflorescences terminal from the leaf axil and subterminal just below the abaxial side of the leaf, solitary or up to 3 in succession from the same position, at the base with a 5 mm long tubular sheath, sometimes with a 2-3 mm long spathe. Peduncle 5-6 mm long. Ovary and pedicel 10-13 mm long, 3-winged, glabrous. Flower c. 1.3 cm across. Median sepal patent, narrowly ovate, 7 by 3.2 mm, obtuse, 3-nerved. Lateral sepals patent, obliquely ovate, 7 by 4.1 mm, obtuse, 5-nerved; mentum cylindrical, straight, narrowed to the apex, 4.6 mm long, entirely closed, apex subacute. Petals porrect, apical half reflexed, ovate-lanceolate, 6.1 by 2.5 mm, entire, obtuse, 3-nerved. Lip spathulate, 3-lobed, glabrous; hypochile 8.6 mm long, of which the narrow claw is adnate to the column foot, 5.2 mm wide across the flattened lateral lobes; lateral lobes erect, obliquely broadly semi-elliptic, 1.8 by 2.5 mm, margins slightly irregular, apex subtruncate; midlobe broadly elliptic, 5.2 by 4.2 mm, fleshy, apical margin crispate, apex broadly rounded, apiculate; callus narrowly hemi-ovoid, subglabrous, on basal half of midlobe, entire. Column 1.6 mm long, glabrous, wings broadly rounded, entire, clinandrium entire, with a narrowly triangular median tooth; foot 4.6 mm long, glabrous. Anther cucullate, 0.8 by 1 mm, base emarginate; apex truncate, papillose; pollinia not seen. Fruit ellipsoid, 10 by 5 mm, 3-winged.

Colours: Flower white; base of lip (callus?) sometimes green.

Habitat: Epiphyte in low open upper montane forest. Altitude 3000 to 3100 m.

Flowering time in the wild: October.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Jaya Wijaya Regency).

Map: LACORMAP.JPG [Cadetia lacorum (P.Royen) Schuit., distribution map.]

Notes: Cadetia lacorum is closely related to Cadetia macroloba, from which it differs in the much smaller, not clawed midlobe of the lip and in the crispate apical margin of the lip. Van Royen used the spelling 'lagorum', but as this refers to Lake Habbema, and the Latin for lake is lacus, it should be corrected to lacorum.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.

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