Chrysoglossum ornatum Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 338
Type: Blume 295 (holo L)
Plant to 60 cm high excluding the inflorescence, glabrous except for minute hairs on the bracts. Roots 2-7 on each rhizome part between 2 pseudobulbs, to 10 cm long, 0.15-0.3 cm diam. Rhizome to 20 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm diam. Rhizome scales 0.8-2.1 cm long, 0.6-0.8 cm diam., top acute to minutely apiculate; nerves c. 20. Pseudobulbs alternatingly 1-6 bearing a leaf and 1 bearing an inflorescence, 1-2 cm apart, terete, somewhat tapering or ovoid; leaf-bearing ones 2.8-5.3 by 0.4-1 cm; inflorescence-bearing ones 0.5-1.5 by 0.4-0.6 cm. Pseudobulb scales on leaf-bearing pseudobulbs 6-8.5 by 0.4-0.6 cm, top acute, nerves c. 20; on inflorescence-bearing pseudobulbs 1.5-2 by 0.5-0.6 cm; top acute, nerves c. 20. Petiole 6-21 by 0.2-0.25 cm. Leaf blade lanceolate, 17-32 by 5-7.5 cm; top acuminate; base attenuate; main nerves 5, below prominent, above somewhat prominent; small nerves many. Raceme 10-25-flowered. Scape 25-63 cm long, 0.25-0.3 cm diam.; internodes 3 or 4, lowest one 4.2-12 cm long, highest one 7.5-28(-32) cm long; scales 2-5.2 by 0.3-0.6 cm, top obtuse to somewhat acuminate, nerves c. 19. Rachis to 34.5 cm long, 0.1-0.3 cm diam.; internodes 0.4-2.5(-3.2) cm long. Bracts patent, lanceolate-ovate, 0.7-1.2 by 0.13-0.32 cm; top acute; nerves 3-5. Pedicel about terete to more or less deeply longitudinally grooved, 0.4-0.8 by 0.05-0.1 cm; ovary somewhat longitudinally grooved, 0.4-0.5 by 0.05-0.12 cm. Median sepal somewhat incurved, linear-lanceolate, 1-1.9 by 0.18-0.4 cm; top acute; nerves 3-5, not prominent. Lateral sepals rather broadly inserted on the column-foot, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, slightly falcate, 1.03-1.57 by 0.17-0.35 cm; top acute to somewhat acuminate, nerves 3(-4) not prominent. Petals lanceolate, slightly falcate, 1.05-1.61 by 0.25-0.46 cm; top acute; nerves 5, not prominent. Lip somewhat fleshy, 0.82-1 cm long. Hypochile parallel to the column, 0.4-0.6 by 0.65-0.9 cm; claw 0.18-0.22 by 0.24-0.3 cm, on either side with a shallow wave, which can be absent, and with one more or less strong pleat (once folded upwards and once downwards again) these folds slightly curved upwards; front part on either side with an erect, more ore less obliquely ligulate or triangular, sometimes somewhat falcate, 0.2-0.32 by (0.15-) 0.2-0.35 cm big lateral lobe with a rounded top and an entire margin; lateral keels 2, starting 0.04-0.1 cm from the base of the lip, fleshy, 0.03-0.05 cm high, in the central part between the lateral lobes 0.07-0.1 cm high, margin entire and undulating or sometimes straight, keels ending on the basal half of the epichilium; median keel fleshy, starting at the base of the lip and there 0.04-0.07 cm high, continuing as a much lower ridge, between the lateral lobes again 0.04-0.07 cm high, the margin somewhat undulating, keel either or not reaching the base of the epichilium, 0.1-0.2 cm shorter than the lateral keels. Epichile concave, in outline obovate, 0.31-0.5 by 0.34-0.5 cm; top obtuse to somewhat retuse; lateral margins incurved to inrolled. Column slender to rather stout, upper part hardly to strongly curved forward, slightly swollen at the obtuse to truncate, blunt or sharp tipped top, 0.5-0.75 by 0.1-0.13 cm; starting between the front lobes with 2 large, lateral, semi-orbicular, fleshy, 0.15-0.3 by 0.05-0.08 cm big keels which continue upwards on the column where they end and fuse between the lateral wings; on the margin of the column laterally on either side of the keels with a narrow seam which is drawn out into a distinct, flat ligulate to triangular, sometimes slightly falcate, forwards projecting, 0.1-0.15 by 0.04-0.1 cm big wing with a rounded or obtuse top, continuing upwards as a narrow seam which ends laterally of the stigma; column-foot 0.15-0.27 by 0.05-0.08 cm, with a saccate, cylindrical to somewhat conical, blunt, laterally somewhat flattened, 0.13-0.25 cm long, 0.05-0.25 cm high, 0.05-0.1 cm wide spur with a narrow entrance; the front of the column-foot on either side with a small, semi-orbicular, fleshy, 0.05-0.08 by 0.03-0.05 cm big lobe. Anther 0.06-0.1 by 0.1-0.16 cm; central part of connective somewhat elevated, sometimes shallowly cleft. Pollinia 0.04-0.05 by 0.04-0.05 cm. Stigma semi-orbicular or ligulate, 0.05-0.13 by 0.05-0.1 cm; rostellum a narrow, 0.02-0.03 by 0.07-0.1 cm big ridge. Fruit reflexed, ellipsoid, body c. 0.25 by 0.4 cm; column and remains of perianth more or less persistent. (After Van der Burgh and De Vogel, 1997).
Colours: Leaves, pseudobulbs, rachis and bracts green, sometimes tinged purple. Pedicel and ovary purple. Sepals and petals green or yellow, nerves sometimes dotted with red-brown spots. Lip white or yellowish, with yellow keels, sometimes with small purple spots at the top and somewhat larger purple spots in the middle. Column white with a yellow top or entirely yellow.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Altitude 1400 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, New Guinea, The Philippines), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sikkim, India (E. Coast, Darjeeling), Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 146-20M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.