Ceratostylis parciflora J.J.Sm., Meded. Rijks-Herb. 23 (1915) 7
Type: Janowsky 356 (holo BO)
Stems closely spaced, fascicled, thin, terete, 7-17.5 cm long, 0.08 cm diam.; sheaths basal, clasping each other, membranous, becoming larger upwards, to 3 cm long. Leaf erect, subulate, subterete, narrowly obtuse, above grooved up to the apex and on either side of the groove convex, carnose, 1.95-2.1 cm long, 0.1 cm diam. Inflorescences few, 1-flowered, peduncles short, puberulous, 0.15 cm long, with a few small membranous scales. Floral bract clasping the base of the ovary, broadly triangular, obtuse, thinly membranous, 0.1 cm long. Flower 0.2 cm wide, 0.7 cm long. Sepals and petals cohering at the base, above recurved. Median sepal oblong, rather obtuse, in the basal part concave, dorsally near the base pubescent, 3-nerved, 0.26 cm long, almost 0.13 cm wide. Lateral sepals with an elongated, narrow, at the apex dilated and inflated lobule decurrent on the column-foot, obliquely oblong, obtuse, dorsally near the base pubescent, 3-nerved, 0.23 by 0.12 cm wide, to the apex of the column-foot 0.64 cm long; mentum long clavate, in the basal part subterete, at the apex transversely almost 6-angular-globose and in front convex, to the apex of the ovary 0.36 cm long, in front 0.47 cm long, at the apex 0.16 cm wide. Petals obliquely oblanceolate, acute, 1-nerved, 0.24 cm long, slightly over 0.05 cm wide. Lip spathulate, at the base not auriculate and slightly ventricose-curved, otherwise appressed to the column-foot and the column, channelled, convex underneath, finely ciliate except at the base and in the thickened apical part, 3-nerved, outer nerves inside prominent and puberulous, mid-rib thickened inside, lip in total almost 0.6 cm long, claw linear, minutely transversely undulate except at the base, blade slightly obtusely angled-recurved, concave, in outline rhombic, in front semi-elliptic-carnose-thickened, underneath convex with a longitudinal groove, above in front convex, obtuse, minutely papillose, almost 0.2 cm long, 0.15 cm wide. Column making an obtuse angle with the ovary, beyond the middle bifid, 0.16 cm long, arms broadly elliptic, rounded, along the basal margins contiguous, outside convex, inside concave. Anther cucullate, suborbicular, at the apex broadly obtuse, subretuse, at the base auriculate, hardly 0.04 cm wide. Column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, in line with the column, straight, 0.3 cm long, at the apex free for a short length and obtusely angled-slightly incurved, narrowly linear, channelled, with a small longitudinal rib in the channel except at the base. Ovary straight, 6-ribbed, woolly-pubescent, 0.2 cm long. (After Smith, 1915).
Colours: Flower violet, lip yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 125-105M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.