Ceratostylis sayeri

Ceratostylis sayeri Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9 (1910) 27

Type: Sayer s.n. (PNG, Bourawarri)

Epiphytic, erect, caespitose, 10-15 cm high. Rhizome very short, rather thick. Roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous. Stems terete, towards the apex somewhat thickened, up to 6 cm long, at the apex 0.2 cm diam., at the base laxly covered with large, pale brown-reticulate, acuminate sheaths, 1-leaved. Leaves (lacking in specimens seen) undoubtedly subulate. Flowers at the apices of the stems, fasciculate; fascicles few-flowered, covered with ovate, acute, outside sparsely striate-punctate scales almost as long as the ovary. Floral bracts similar to the scales but smaller. Sepals ovate, acute, outside sparsely filamentose-puberulous, especially towards the base, 0.4 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base along the front margin extended into an oblong, concave, apically dilated lobule, connate; mentum spur-like, at the apex somewhat inflated-widened, 0.35 cm long. Petals obliquely ovate-elliptic, acute, glabrous, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip from the ligulate-unguiculate base to the middle elliptic-dilated, then towards the apex narrowed, carnose, broadly obtuse, inside with two parallel keels from the base up to the base of the thickened apex, decurrent, in between with a smaller thickened line; lip in total 0.7 cm long, near the middle 0.2 cm wide. Column short, auricles concave, obtuse, in front with two thickened lines. Column-foot slightly more than half as long as the spur. Ovary clavate, 0.3 cm long, villose. (After Schlechter, 1910).

Colours: Not recorded.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 900 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia).

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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