Ceratostylis breviceps Ridl., Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 9 (1916) 193
Type: Kloss s.n. (Camp 6c, 5500 ft.); (Camp 13, 10500 ft.) (syn BM)
Plant caespitose. Stems 15 cm long, 0.2 cm thick (when dried). Leaves rigid, coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, to base and apex narrowed, 9 by 0.5 cm. Floral head small, 0.4 cm long, with ovate, acute, pale, 0.1 cm long scales. Median sepal lanceolate, obtuse, silky hairy, 0.2 cm long. Lateral sepals rather similar, free; mentum cylindrical, at the apex dilated, globose, silky hairy, 0.3 cm long. Ovary silky hairy, cylindrical, as long as the mentum. Petals narrow, lanceolate, acute, almost as long as the sepals but much narrower. Lip oblong, at the base saccate, margins raised, at the apex carnose linguiform, obtuse, much shorter than the sepals. Column short, arms rather short, lanceolate, apices rounded, pale. (After Ridley, 1916).
Colours: Not recorded.
Habitat: Epiphyte in upper montane forest. Altitude 1670-3200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-23M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.