Ceratostylis ovatilabris J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 386, pl. 55, 42
Type: Lam 1921 (BO?, not found; not found at L)
Stems close together, fascicled, slender, terete, 3.5-9.5 cm long, up to 0.1 cm diam., 1-leaved, near the base with a few overlapping, acute, up to 2.5 cm long sheaths which increase in size upwards. Roots thin. Leaf erect, terete, apex laterally compressed and elongated, viewed from above rather acute, in lateral view obtuse, above near the apex obtusely channeled, somewhat fleshy, 3.75-5 cm long, 0.1 cm diam.; sheath channeled, at the base tubular, 0.18-0.2 cm wide. Inflorescences fascicled, few-flowered, peduncle short, 0.16cm long, 1-flowered, covered with a few tubular, somewhat inflated, obtuse, glabrous, membranous, up to 0.4 cm long scales. Floral bracts patent, strongly concave, obtuse, 0.13 cm long. Flower 0.2 cm long. Median sepal somewhat concave, recurved and somewhat convex in apical part, oblong, obtuse, subglabrous, 1-nerved, 0.18 cm long, about 0.1 cm wide. Lateral sepals at the base produced into a shortly obliquely inflated-concave lobe, front margins shortly connate, subglabrous, free parts divergent, broadly obliquely ovate-triangular, obtuse, 1-nerved, when flattened in total 0.2 cm long, to the apex of the ovary 0.18 cm long, free parts along the front margins 0.13 cm long, 0.12 cm wide; mentum saccate, pointing backwards, appressed to the ovary, broader than long, transversely quadrangular, rounded-truncate, 0.04 cm long. Petals porrect, recurved in apical part, obliquely lanceolate, narrowed towards the apex, narrowly obtuse, at the base shortly cuneate, for the greatest part convex, 1-nerved, about 0.18 cm long, 0.06 cm wide. Lip subsessile, slightly clawed, porrect, much surpassing the column, ovate, when flattened triangular-ovate, obtuse, basal angles rounded, 0.18 cm long, about 0.15 cm wide, concave, convex below, above the middle obtusely recurved and convex-thickened, 3-nerved, with two short longitudinal keels in basal third, with a third keel arising from the thickened part, decurrent and vanishing. Column to almost near the base bipartite, view from above U-shaped, 0.07 cm long, arms porrect, parallel, slightly surpassing the anther, parallel, vertical, obliquely elliptic, apex rounded, outside convex, inside concave. Anther cucullate, convex, suborbicular, apex rounded, in the basal part thin marginate and 4-lobulate, about 0.05 cm wide. Pollinia 8, pyriform. Column-foot shortened, slightly longer than the width of the ovary, tooth-like. Ovary 6-grooved, pubescent, 0.18 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)
Colours: Flower white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in upper montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1500-1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-103M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte, keep in shade.