Appendicula latifolia

Appendicula latifolia (Schltr.) J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 8 (1912) 36

Basionym: Cyphochilus latifolius

Terrestrial, erect, several-stemmed, branched, somewhat rigid, 50 cm high; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; stems and branches erect or erect-patent, rigid, densely leafy, thinly terete, entirely covered by the leaf-sheaths; leaves erect-patent, elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, 5-8 cm long, in the middle or below the middle 1.5-2 cm wide, apex unequally bidentate, with a small apiculum or mucro, glabrous; Inflorescence terminal or lateral near the apices of the branches, short, shorter than the leaves, few-flowered; bracts and scales lanceolate, narrowly obtuse, almost as long as or shorter than the ovary. Flowers erect-patent. Sepals oblong, narrowly obtuse, glabrous, 0.55 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, towards the base somewhat dilated along the front margin, mentum short, obtuse. Petals obliquely spathulate-ligulate, obtuse, apex obliquely truncate, glabrous, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip 0.7 cm long, at the base oblong-clawed, in upper half expanded into in a broadly reniform blade, notched in front, bilobed, margins subcrenulate, blade below the middle 0.75 cm wide, above the base with a cucullate, forked callus, the ?legs? rather broad, in the middle somewhat narrowed, in front rounded, at the base densely puberulous, decurrent to below the middle of the blade, there with a small oblong, obtuse callus. Column short; towards the apex dilated, branches short, column-foot short. Anther subreniform-cordate, narrowly obtuse, glabrous. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914, as Cyphochilus latifolius Schltr.)

Colours: Flower yellowish, lip white.

Habitat: Terrestrial in lower montane forest. Altitude 1000 m.

Flowering time in the wild: June.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-105M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, keep in shade.

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