Ceratostylis compressicaulis J.J.Sm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 66 (1934) 173
Type: Mayr 586 (holo L; iso BO)
Stems closely spaced, fascicled, apparently compressed, 4.25-8 cm long, when dried 0.17-0.23 cm wide, several sheaths tubular clasping, appressed, becoming larger upwards, long-narrowed, brown with transparent margins, when dried prominently veined, to 2.5-3 cm long at the base. Leaf lanceolate-linear, narrowed towards the apex, shortly obliquely or unequally acute or obtuse, dorsally keeled, keel beyond the apex extended into a laterally compressed mucro, base contracted into a short, conduplicate, keeled petiole, leaf when dried coriaceous, 5.8-7.9 cm long; when dried 0.6-0.75 cm wide, petiole 0.3-0.4 cm long; sheath conduplicate, base dilated and clasping the stem, especially near the base sunken punctate, 0.3-0.4 cm long. Inflorescences fascicled, with long and narrowly subulate, brown, to 1-1.1 cm long scales. Flower when spread. 0.65 cm long, sepals glabrous. Median sepal narrowly subovate-oblong, narrowed towards the apex, obtuse, concave,1-nerved, 0.43 cm long, 0.13 cm wide. Lateral sepals narrowly obliquely ovate-oblong, gradually narrowed towards the apex, subacute, concave, 3-nerved, 0.43 cm long, including the basal lobule 0.6 cm long, 0.15 cm wide, at the base 0.2 cm wide, with an obliquely suborbicular, strongly concave basal lobule decurrent on the column-foot; mentum pointing backwards, almost parallel with the ovary, straight, oblong, obtuse, dorsally 0.15 cm long, in front 0.18 cm long. Petals obliquely narrowly lanceolate, gradually very sharply long-acuminate, base slightly contracted, 1-nerved, 0.42 cm by 0.08 cm Lip much surpassing the column, in a little over 1/4 above the bane obtusely angled-recurved, apex slightly recurved, concave, unguiculate, weakly 3-lobed, 3-nerved, in basal half with two small, parallel keels, claw quadrangular, lateral lobes erect, rounded-obtusely angled, slightly finely ciliate, mesochile inversely almost 5-angled, epichile rather long, subterete, carnose, obtuse, lip in total 0.52 cm long, claw almost 0.1 cm long, 0.06 cm wide, mesochile 0.2-0.23 cm long, almost 0.2 cm wide, epichile a little over 0.2 cm long, 0.08 cm diam. Column 0.18 cm long, deeply divided into two parallel, obliquely oblong, obtuse, inside concave, outside convex arms. Anther cucullate, convex, suborbicular, the apex excepted broadly membranous-winged, base 4-lobulate, 0.08 cm wide. Column-foot pointing backwards, narrowly linear, above the middle obtusely angled, almost rectangularly incurved and free from the lateral sepals; when not flattened 0.08 cm long. Ovary pedicellate, finely pilose, 0.34 cm long. (After Smith, 1934).
Colours: Flower pink.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1400 m.
Flowering time in the wild: September.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-38M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.