Appendicula oxysepala (Schltr.) J.J.Sm. var. longicalcarata J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 115, pl. 39, 129
Type: Versteeg 1272
Stems closely spaced, simple, slender, terete, 8-10 cm long, 0.1 cm diam., internodes 0.18 cm long. Leaves widely patent, half-twisted at the base, oblong-ovate, 1-1.2 by 0.38-0.47 cm, at the apex narrowed, recurved, bidentate, teeth shortly subulate-acuminate, in between with a much longer subulate, sharply pointed mucro; leaf-sheaths tubular, longer than the internodes. Inflorescences terminal, rather laxly c. 10-flowered, 2 cm long, across the bracts 1.2 cm wide. Floral bracts 2-ranked, foliaceous, as long as the flowers, ovate, densely fimbriate, setaceous-mucronate, 0.7 by 0.45 cm. Flowers 0.85 cm across. Median sepal oblong-ovate, 0.4 by 0.18 cm, broadly obtuse, dorsally at the apex long and abruptly subulate-mucronate, convex, 1-nerved, mucro 0.05 cm long. Lateral sepals along the front margins free, obliquely oblong, dorsally at the apex long subulate-mucronate, 1-nerved, 0.2 cm wide; mentum pointing backwards, long spur-like, narrowly cylindrical, narrowed towards the apex, obtuse, slightly emarginate, longer than the ovary, 0.33 cm long. Petals sublinear, in upper half slightly dilated and erose, obtuse, convex, margins recurved, 1-nerved, 0.43 cm long, almost 0.1 cm wide. Lip spathulate, entire, 0.75 cm long; claw adnate to the column-foot forming a spur-like structure, narrowed towards the base, concave, inside near the base with a clavate appendage, in the middle long-hairy, 0.35 by 0.14 cm; blade recurved, strongly convex, at the base cuneate, transversely elliptic, when flattened 0.5 cm wide, at the apex slightly rounded, erose, above the middle with a large, thick, longitudinally elliptic callus that does not reach the apex, on either side of the callus slightly swollen, somewhat below the middle of the blade with a transverse callus which is rounded in front and which towards the base forms two thick ribs decurrent on the claw. Column narrowed to the base, 0.23 cm long, clinandrium strongly oblique. Anther large, oblong, at the apex deeply bilobed, 0.23 by 0.13 cm, lobes at the apex divergent. Pollinia 6, unequal, clavate and pear-shaped, 0.06-0.075 cm long, stipes two, distinct, lanceolate-spathulate, with incurved margins, yellow, 0.17 cm long attached near the middle and slightly surpassing the pollinia. Rostellum broad, 3-lobed, mid-lobe rounded, lateral lobes much longer, triangular, acute. Stigma similar to the clinandrium. Column-foot pointing backwards, concave, 0.3 cm long. Ovary twisted, 6-grooved, 0.23 cm long. (After Smith, 1909).
Colours: Flower white with transverse purple markings on the lip. Pollinia yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: June, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 57-143M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, keep in shade.