Appendicula pseudopendula

Appendicula pseudopendula (Schltr.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 348

Basionym: Podochilus pseudopendulus

Epiphyte, erect or patent, up to 40 cm long; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; stems unbranched, straight or somewhat flexuose, thinly terete, densely leafy, glabrous, entirely covered by the leaf-sheaths, 0.25-0.3 cm diameter; leaves erect-patent, oblong-ligulate, obtuse, unequally and minutely bilobulate with a minute apiculum, 3-4.5 cm long, near the middle 0.7-1.2 cm wide. Inflorescences terminal or lateral, rather laxly many-flowered, elongated, pendulous, up to 20 cm long; bracts reflexed, elliptic, acute, clearly shorter than the ovary. Flowers patent, glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, 0.35 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base lobed-dilated along the front margin, mentum oblongoid, obtuse, 0.25 cm long. Petals subfalcate, elliptic-spathulate, apex triangular, narrowly obtuse, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base oblong, dilated in the middle, in apical third weakly 3-lobed, mid-lobe quadrate, callose-apiculate, lateral lobes broadly obtuse, much smaller, at the base with a rather high horseshoe-shaped lamella decurrent to below the middle, lip in total 0.5 cm long, near the middle 0.3 cm wide.. Column short, rostellum triangular, rather long, shallowly notched, at the base on either side with a tooth. Anther ovate-cordate, apex minutely 3-lobulate. Ovary with pedicel clavate, glabrous; 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flower white, sepals outside greenish; petals, lip and column with red margins.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest in shaded positions. Altitude 250-740 m.

Flowering time in the wild: January, July, September.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-167M.JPG

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, keep in shade.

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