Calanthe finisterrae

Calanthe finisterrae Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 382

Type: Schlechter 18195 (holo B, lost; iso G, L, S)

Slender, erect 50 cm, high; rhizome very short, roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; leaves 3-5, erect-patent, elliptic, acuminate, at the base gradually narrowed into the petiole, blade up to 25 cm long, in the middle up to about 6 cm wide, petiole up to 10 cm long; Inflorescence slender, thinly terete, at the base glabrous, towards the apex very minutely puberulous, covered with few, clasping, acuminate, distant scales; rachis laxly 3-5-flowered, up to 8 cm long; bracts erect-patent, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 4 times shorter than the pedicellate ovary. Flowers subsecund, erect-patent, soon becoming almost patent. Sepals subspathulate-elliptic, apiculate, 1.1 cm long, near the middle 0.45 cm wide, glabrous. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals patent-weakly decurved, obliquely subspathulate-elliptic, obtuse, glabrous, about as large as the sepals. Lip deeply 3-lobed, lateral lobes subporrect, obliquely ligulate, narrowly obtuse, 0.5 cm long, mid-lobe oblong, 0.7 cm long, narrowly obtusely bilobulate in apical third, with a minute apiculum between the lobules, near the mouth of the spur with 6 glabrous warts, in front of these with several small warts near the base of the mid-lobe, spur weakly incurved, cylindrical, 1.4 cm long, glabrous outside, inside the mouth of the spur very minutely puberulous, apex slightly dilated, minutely bilobulate. Column glabrous, towards the apex somewhat dilated, 0.6 cm long, auricles obliquely triangular, obtuse, porrect. Anther rounded-helmet-shaped, in front weakly bidentate, glabrous. Ovary with pedicel 1.6 cm long, subclavate, nearly glabrous (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flower greenish yellow.

Habitat: Terrestrial in lower montane forest. Altitude 1200 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 101-125M.JPG

Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, keep in shade.

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