Agrostophyllum mucronatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 2
Type: Versteeg 1315 (holo BO 2x; iso K, L, P)
Plant epiphytic or terrestrial, to c. 100 cm long. Stems erect or pendulous, flattened, (0.6-)0.9-1.6 cm wide over the leaf sheaths, from base to apex gradually broadening, widest just below the apex. Leaf sheath appressed to the stem, reaching to the base of the second or third one above, (1.5-)2.5-4 cm long; with a (1.5-)2.5-4 cm long incision, without tubular basal part; width of margin to midrib (0.3-)0.5-0.7 cm; apical margin at the articulation mostly drawn out into a slender, rounded to triangular, 0.1-0.3 cm long, tooth-like projection. Leaf blade erect-patent, linear, sometimes linear-lanceolate, 5.5-20.0 by 0.5-1 cm, index (9.2-)13-25(-32); base twisted, upper side of all leaf blades completely turned to one side of the plant; apex very slender acute, narrowly triangular, gradually tapering, its tip equally or unequally bilobed or acute, rarely equally bidentate, sometimes with a minute mucro. Inflorescence 11-50 cm long, flattened, with 9-50 internodes of which the ones at the base of the inflorescence are up to 1.5 cm long; partial inflorescences 1-3 per bract first order. Bracts first order when young overtopping the partial inflorescences, narrowly triangular, those at the base of the inflorescence to 4 cm long, c. 2-3 internodes long, folded along the midrib, persistent, with dark coloured margin, when older slit along the midrib, more often almost 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, 1-3 flowered, with 4-6 bracts second order of which the lowest 3 are sterile; axis 0.3-0.6 cm long. Bract second order 0.4-0.7 cm long, sterile and fertile ones of about the same length, the fertile one not completely covering pedicel and ovary. Flowers widely open; mentum absent. Pedicel and ovary (0.5-)0.7-0.9 cm long. Median sepal shallowly concave, ovate, recurved, 0.4-0.5 by 0.15-0.2 cm, index 2.4-2.7; apex acuminate; nerves 3-7, midrib prominent. Lateral sepals asymmetric, free, recurved, 0.49-0.6 by 0.15-0.2 cm, index 2.6-3.5; apex acuminate; nerves 4, midrib a low rounded keel, pronounced to the apex. Petals symmetric, obspathulate, 0.37-0.49 by 0.08-0.12 cm, index 3.5-5.0; apex long caudate, narrowed below the middle, tip acute; 3 nerved. Lip 0.45-0.51 cm long. Hypochile saccate, 0.13-0.2 by 0.13-0.17 by 0.18-0.21 cm, inner surface without keels, or with 1 or 5, (in)distinctly thickened ribs; base hardly saccate; lateral lobes low, in front broadly rounded; callus not overtopping the lateral lobes, its apex curved to the front, truncate. Epichile slightly convex, ovate, 0.3c0.37 by 0.3-0.38 cm, index 0.9-1.2; margin not curved upwards, slightly indented and there erose to irregular, hardly undulate; apex acuminate; median at the base with a longitudinal groove, surface rather smooth. Column slightly widened around the stigma, excluding the anther 0.35-0.46 by 0.12-0.17 cm; in front with a narrow, shallow, longitudinal groove, at c. 1/3 from the apex with a deep cross-groove; column foot absent. Anther about globose, c. 0.12 by 0.09 cm. Pollinia long obovoid, sometimes abruptly narrowing towards the base, 0.05-0.08 by 0.02-0.03 cm. Stigma about orbicular, often cordate, 0.1-0.11 cm diam., or broader than long and then c. 0.1 by 0.15 cm; rostellum folded to the front, median notched. Fruit with column and/or perianth on apex persistent; body 0.65-1 by c. 0.25 cm. Seeds fusiform, c. 0.02 cm long. (After Weijnen and De Vogel, unpublished).
Colours: Leaves dull (bluish) green. Sepals cream coloured, petals white. Lip white, pinkish at base of midlobe. Column white, pinkish around the stigma.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest in shaded positions. Altitude 0-700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March, April, May, June, July, September.
Distribution: Malesia (Moluccas, New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 24-73M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, keep in shade.