Appendicula biloba J.J.Sm. var. angustifolia J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 18 (1935) 34
Type: Docters van Leeuwen 10362 (holo BO; iso L, sterile)
Rhizome short, branched, roots thin, pilose. Stems crowded, erect, branched, 65 cm long, internodes up to 1.1-2.2 cm long, upper ones decreasing in size. Leaves articulate, patent, linear-lanceolate, at the base half-twisted, when dried below with 3 larger and 4 smaller prominent nerves, rigidly papyraceous, up to 6.5 cm long, 0.73 cm wide, apex slightly unequally triangular-bidentate, mucronate, mucro longer than the teeth; sheaths tubular, surpassing the internodes, apex deeply excised, when dried densely prominently veined. Inflorescences arising from the nodes of the stem, patent to erect-patent, branching, covered with scales; rachis producing flowers for a long time, distichous, many-flowered, more than 1.8 cm long, internodes 0.1-0.2 cm long. Floral bracts overlapping, erect-patent, ovate, shortly apiculate-acuminate, concave, 5-nerved, with two smaller nerves in between, dorsally sparsely finely punctate, 0.73 cm long, 0.45 cm wide. Flowers 1 cm wide. Sepals patent, recurved, convex, longitudinally grooved, dorsally sparsely furfuraceous-finely punctate. Median sepal at the base for 0.08 cm adnate to the column, apex recurved, ovate, obtuse, apiculate, 3-nerved, nerves especially the midrib, dorsally prominent, about 0.6 cm long, 0.33 cm wide. Lateral sepals decurrent on the column-foot, front margins free, at the base concave, clasping the base of the lip, obliquely ovate-triangular, 4-nerved, midrib dorsally prominent, about 0.6 cm long, front margins about 0.7 cm long, at the base about 0.4 cm wide, apex acute, laterally compressed-apiculate; mentum short, thick, forming an angle acute with the ovary, almost straight, dorsally flattened with an obtuse longitudinal rib, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely narrowly subspathulate-oblong, obtuse, 1- or 2-nerved, 0.47 cm long, 0.15 cm wide. Lip at the base together with the apex of the column-foot shortly saccate, at the base erect, above the base obtusely recurved, clawed, at the base strongly concave, outside strongly convex, margin erect, otherwise acutely recurved, apical part strongly dilated, convex above, concave below, 5-nerved, above the base with a carnose, backwards-pointing, at the back free and obtuse callus, callus in front with 2 longitudinal keels which are puberulous, low and patent at the base, elsewhere raised, thickened and papillose, separated by a small angular channel, the keels abruptly terminating well above the base of the blade where they are very high and broadly obtuse, with a high conical, obtuse tooth in the sinus in front of the keels. Lip when flattened with a subcuneate-oblong, 0.3 cm long, at the apex about 0.3 cm wide claw, blade abruptly dilated, obreniform-bilobed, 0.4 cm long, 0.66 cm wide, lobes rounded, outer margin subcrenate, the triangular centre separated by grooves from the lateral lobes. Column short, broad, dorsally compressed, apex on either side rounded-dilated, dorsally convex, including the anther 0.25 cm long, 0.23 cm wide, clinandrium hollow, auricles broad, rounded, compressed. Anther inclined, cucullate, cordate-ovate, 0.1 cm wide, obtuse, on either side below the apex with a small, patent, triangular tooth, basal lobes triangular. Pollinia 6, narrowly obliquely oblong to subclavate, stipes 2, curved, at the base thin, strongly curved, cuneate-triangular. Rostellum very short, very broadly notched, shortly widely bidentate. Stigma conspicuous, inverse triangular, angles rounded. Column-foot making a sharp angle with the ovary, quadrangular, margin raised, median part convex, appearing somewhat 3-ribbed because of two inconspicuous grooves, papillose, 0.2 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.45 cm long. (After Smith, 1935)
Colours: Flower light yellow and violet.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest. Altitude 250 m.
Flowering time in the wild: September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-20M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial.