Calanthe camptoceras

Calanthe camptoceras Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 383

Type: Schlechter 18239 (holo B, lost)

Terrestrial, erect, up to 100 cm high; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; leaves erect, patent, elliptic, acuminate, at the base cuneate, narrowed into the short petiole, up to 30 cm long, near the middle up to 9 cm wide, minutely puberulous below; Inflorescence slender, terete, minutely puberulous, with a few, distant, closely appressed, acuminate scales; rachis rather densely many-flowered, up to 30 cm long, 2 cm diameter (measured across the flowers); bracts erect-patent, lanceolate, acuminate, clearly less than half as long as the pedicellate ovary. Flowers erect-patent, eventually becoming almost patent. Sepals elliptic-oblong, narrowly obtusely apiculate, glabrous. Median sepal 0.6 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, 0.7 cm long. Petals weakly decurved, subfalcate, linear-ligulate, obtuse, somewhat dilated towards the apex, glabrous, 0.65 cm long. Lip as long as the petals, deeply 3-lobed, lateral lobes slightly diverging, obliquely subfalcate-oblong, obtuse, 0.4 cm long, mid-lobe oblong, bilobulate to above the middle, lobules obtuse, 0.4 cm long, near the mouth of the spur with 4 calli, in front of these with 3 additional, about equal-sized calli, spur cylindrical-clavate, knee-like bent-porrect, apex weakly retuse, 1 cm long, outside glabrous, inside at the throat densely puberulous. Column towards the apex dilated, laterally at the base puberulous, margins entirely adnate to the lip, 0.45 cm long, auricles obliquely triangular, obtuse. Anther broad, ovate, in front bidentate, with a broadly ovate umbo, glabrous; pollinia obliquely clavate, unequal-sized, viscidium minute, rounded. Ovary with pedicel clavate, minutely puberulous, 1 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Leaves deep metallic green. Flower greenish with whitish green lip.

Habitat: Terrestrial in leaf litter in lower montane forest. Altitude 1100 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 101-56M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, keep in shade.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)