Agrostophyllum cyclopense J.J.Sm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11 (1913) 558
Type: Gjellerup 538 (holo BO; iso L)
Plant epiphytic or terrestrial, to c. 77 cm long. Stems erect, flattened, 1.1-2.2 cm wide over the leaf sheaths, widest about halfway the stem, tapering to base and apex. Leaf sheath appressed to the stem but at the apex somewhat recurved, reaching between the bases of the second and third one above, 4.5-13.5 cm long; with a (1-)5.3-11 cm long incision, with a tubular basal part; width of margin to midrib 0.6-1.1 cm; apical margin at the articulation drawn out into a triangular, 0.1-0.4 cm long, tooth-like projection. Leaf blade erect-patent, linear, 11-30.5 by 0.7-1.5 cm, index 10.1-33.3; base twisted, upper side of all leaf blades completely turned to one side of the plant; apex very slender acute, gradually tapering, its tip equally or unequally bidentate, sometimes with a tiny mucro. Inflorescence 14-33 cm long, with 11-27 internodes of which the ones at the base of the inflorescence are up to 2.5 cm long; partial inflorescences 1-9 per bract first order, arranged in dense tufts. Bracts first order when young overtopping the partial inflorescences, narrowly triangular, those at the base of the inflorescence to 5(-7) cm long, c. 2 internodes long, folded along the midrib, persistent, with dark coloured margin, when older slit along the midrib, often completely disintegrated into persistent fibres. Partial inflorescences at the apex laterally emerging from the slit or from between the fibres of the bract first order or pushing the bract first order aside, 1(-2)-flowered, with 4(-5) bracts second order of which the lowest 3 are sterile; axis 0.1-0.3 cm long. Bracts second order 0.5-0.83 cm long, the fertile one mostly completely covering pedicel and ovary. Flowers widely open or rather closed, (0.35-)0.75-0.80 cm diam.; mentum pronounced, obtuse, 0.15-0.25 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 0.5-0.8 cm long. Median sepal concave, ovate, not recurved, 0.40-0.45 by 0.20-0.27 cm, index 1.6-2.0; apex acute to slightly acuminate; nerves 3-5, midrib mostly a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Lateral sepals asymmetric, connate at the base or free, not recurved, 0.57-0.65 by 0.25-0.33 cm, index 1.8-2.6; apex acuminate; nerves 3-5, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Petals slightly asymmetric, rather broadly ligulate, 0.32-0.45 by 0.15-0.23 cm, index 1.8-2.4; apex acute or obtuse, tip acuminate or obtuse; 3-5-nerved. Lip 0.55-0.7 cm long. Hypochile saccate, 0.15-0.3 by 0.1-0.2 by 0.13-0.2 cm, inner surface with 3 or 5 swollen ribs; base deeply saccate; lateral lobes rather high, in front broadly rounded; callus (hardly) overtopping the lateral lobes, papillate, its apex not curved, shallowly or deeply retuse or distinctly bilobed with broad, rounded lobes. Epichile concave, ovate to orbicular, 0.35-0.40 by 0.35-0.55 cm, index 0.7-1.1; margin curved upwards, rather regular indented, not undulate; apex acuminate, curved backwards; median at the base with two low, longitudinal thickenings, towards the apex with a small, shallow, longitudinal groove. Column hardly widened around the stigma, excluding column foot and anther 0.2-0.25 by 0.13-0.2 cm; in front just below the stigma depressed, but without cross-groove, with an elevated longitudinal band of tissue which continues in the column foot; laterally on either side with a ridge which is next to the stigma drawn out into a low, broadly rounded lobe; column foot rather broad, with 3 shallow, narrow, longitudinal grooves, 0.10-0.12 by 0.10-0.15 cm. Anther globose to broadly ovoid, 0.1-0.15 by c. 0.1 cm. Pollinia obovoid, 0.07-0.1 by 0.02-0.03 cm. Stigma in outline about quadrangular, 0.1-0.15 by 0.1-0.15 cm, laterally (slightly) depressed; rostellum folded to the front, median notched, sometimes deeply notched. Fruit with perianth and/or column on apex persistent; body c. 1 by 0.3 cm. Seeds not seen. (After Weijnen and De Vogel, unpublished).
Colours: Flowers white, with a yellow spot in the centre.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1200-1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May, June.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 24-29M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.