Agrostophyllum patentissimum J.J.Sm., Meded. Rijks-Herb. 23 (1915) 4
Type: Janowsky 306 (holo BO)
Stems closely spaced, unbranched, in the basal part terete, densely leafy, 26 cm long, internodes 0.5-0.7 cm long. Leaves widely patent, at the base half-twisted, sessile, half-clasping, ovate-oblong, obtuse, shortly rounded-bilobed, with a shorter, obtuse apiculum in between the lobes, irregularly crenulate-erose, many-nerved, thinly coriaceous, 2-3.6 by 1-1.25 cm; sheath twice as long as the internodes, tubular, in front torn open, when dried to 0.73 cm wide, truncate, at the apex on either side with a very small, linear, erect, apically involute appendage. Floral head terminal, nodding, semiglobose, densely many-flowered, when dried 2.8 cm diam., surrounded with small sheaths that soon dissolve in fibres. Inflorescences short, 1-flowered, in total 1.45 cm long, peduncle abbreviated, 0.15 cm long, entirely covered with overlapping, laxly appressed, basally tubular, concave, obtuse, dorsally prominently veined, above bract-like, small scales that become larger upwards; floral bract 0.92 cm long. Flower 0.8 cm long. Median sepal [base only preserved] at the base concave, with 3 closely spaced nerves, 0.3 cm wide. Lateral sepals strongly obliquely ovate, apiculate-acuminate, concave, 3-nerved, mid-rib dorsally prominent, 0.55 cm long (to the apex of the ovary), the whole 1.36 cm long, 0.35 cm wide, at the base long connate, clasping the spur of the lip; mentum pointing backwards, appressed to the ovary, saccate, obtuse, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely oblong, obtuse, 3-nerved, 0.47 by 0.22 cm. Lip spurred, indistinctly 3-lobed, in total 0.75 cm long, slightly curved, convex underneath, between the lateral lobes with a transverse, ascending, quadrangular, obtusely angled, retuse, papillose lamella; lateral lobes low, appressed to the column, broadly obtuse; mid-lobe porrect, much surpassing the column, concave, at the base clawed-contracted, quadrangular, blade transversely 6-angular, truncate, on either side crenate, 0.4 cm long, almost 0.6 cm wide; spur saccate, pointing backwards, appressed to the ovary, shortly and thickly conical, obtuse, 0.15 cm long. Column making an obtuse angle with the ovary, slightly curved, without the anther 0.23 cm long, on either side of the stigma with a patent, rounded-triangular, somewhat fleshy lobule, below the stigma convex with raised margins. Column-foot short, recurved; clinandrium concave, at the back truncate, margins crenulate. Anther cucullate. Stigma with strongly raised, thick margins, cucullate. Ovary subsessile, 6-grooved, 0.65 cm long. (After Smith, 1915).
Colours: Flower white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 24-84M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.
Note: Related to Agrostophyllum appendiculoides Schltr., Agrostophyllum verruciferum Schltr., Agrostophyllum fibrosum J.J.Sm. and Agrostophyllum fragrans Schltr.