Calanthe bicalcarata J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 5 (1907) 31
Type: Wichmann Exp. (Djibdja) s.n. (1903) (New Guinea N. coast) (holo BO)
Pseudobulbs closely spaced, 6-7-leaved, small. Leaves petiolate; petiole 10-12 cm long, channelled, 3-5-ribbed; blade suberect, curved, linear-lanceolate, 17-33 by 3-4 cm, membranous, underneath with 3-5 prominent veins, margins recurved, apex long acuminate, membranous. Inflorescence racemose, erect, straight, elongated, 75 cm long; peduncle 53 cm long, 0.3 cm diam., terete, puberulous, peduncle-scales 3-4, tubular, puberulous, prominently veined; rachis angular, ribbed, puberulous, laxly many-flowered. Floral bracts reflexed, ovate-triangular, 0.5-0.7 cm long, apex acuminate, tip channelled, with 3-5 raised veins. Ovary 1.4 cm long, almost straight, triangular, 6-grooved, puberulous. Flowers not resupinated, 2.8 cm long, 0.65 cm wide, reflexed, laterally compressed. Sepals and petals strongly reflexed, sepals sparsely puberulous. Median sepal horizontal, oblong, 1.13 by 0.5 cm, apex acute, apiculate. Lateral sepals appressed to the spur, obliquely oblong, 1.1 by 0.58 cm, convex, 3-nerved, mid-vein outside prominent, apex apiculate-acuminate. Petals narrowly spathulate-oblong, 1.13 by 0.4 cm, grooved outside along the mid-vein, apex obtuse, apiculate. Lip spurred, clawed; claw adnate to the column, forming a gibbose tube with a 0.16 cm long spur-like projection which is divided by a rib inside and grooved outside; blade transversely elliptic, almost reniform, apex broadly emarginate, mucronate, bilobed, when flattened 1.3 by 0.75 cm, deeply channelled in the middle, at the base of the blade with 3 close verrucose ribs of which the median is longest, lobes almost obliquely rounded-triangular, broadly obtuse, strongly convex, margins revolute; spur parallel with the ovary, obliquely erect, rather large, inflated-clavate, slightly curved, laterally compressed, 1.85 cm long, 0.42 cm high, obtuse. Column short, straight, clavate, apex obliquely truncate, entirely adnate to the claw of the lip, 0.6 cm long, apex (filament) obtuse; rostellum deeply bifid, shorter than the stigma-lobes; stigma lobes porrect, triangular, acute, along the upper margin with an obtuse tooth, outside convex. Anther cucullate, apical margin membranous. Pollinia thinly clavate, unequal (4 longer, 4 shorter), to 0.25 cm long, viscidium rather large, oblong, thin, 0.23 cm long. (After Smith, 1907).
Colours: Leaves green, densely spotted, the spots pale green with a yellowish centre. Sepals and petals greenish white, pale green towards the tips. Lip white, spur greenish white, column and anther white, pollinia pale yellow.
Habitat: Not known, probably terrestrial in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 101-40M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, keep in shade.