Cleisostoma buruense (J.J.Sm.) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23, 4 (1972) 170
Basionym: Sarcanthus buruensis
Stem short to somewhat elongated with age, 5-10 cm long. Leaves strap-shaped, 10-14 by 1.4-2 cm, thick leathery, apex unequally and obtusely bilobulate. Inflorescences arising from the leaf-axils, longer than the leaves, with 2-4 branches, many-flowered, with about 6 flowers open at the same time on each branch; peduncle 6-14.5 cm long, branches 6-10 cm long, making a very sharp angle with the peduncle. Floral bracts persistent, triangular, 0.06-0.1 cm long. Flowers very small, fleshy, 0.45-0.6 cm wide. Median sepal erect, oblong, 0.32-0.35 by 0.17-0.18 cm, obtuse, 3-veined. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, 0.3 by 0.15-0.17 cm, obtuse, 3-veined. Petals obliquely narrowly oblong to lanceolate, subfalcate or not, 0.26-0.3 by 0.1-0.12 cm, obtuse, 1- or 2-veinend. Lip 3-lobed, spurred, rigidly adnate to the base of the column, 0.25-0.3 cm long from ovary to apex; lateral lobes narrow, broadly obliquely triangular with a tooth-like apical projection (Leiden cult. 20030777), or simply tooth-like and subacute (Type); mid-lobe slightly concave, broadly and very shortly hastate, indistinctly 3-lobulate, lateral lobules slightly incurved, obliquely quadrangular, rounded to truncate, median lobule broadly obtusely triangular; spur subcylindrical, almost parallel with the ovary, 0.25-0.26 cm long, obtuse, very slightly incurved, without septum, on the back wall near the opening with a small rectangular, glabrous, grooved, bilobulate callus. Column short and thick, without anther 0.16-0.18 cm long, clinandrium transversely elliptic with a longitudinal median crest, rostellum small, apex abruptly curved upwards. Anther in outline transversely reniform and shortly rostrate, 0.07 by 0.1 cm, minutely papillose at the base, otherwise glabrous. Pollinia 4, in two pairs, those of a pair hemispherical and slightly unequal, the largest 0.048 cm diameter, the smallest 0.042 cm diameter, attached with very short and thin caudicles to the narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 0.05 cm long stipe; viscidium broadly ovate-subcordate, 0.015 cm wide. Ovary with pedicel terete, 0.4-0.5 cm long, glabrous. Fruit very shortly pedicellate, oblong in outline, triangular in cross-section, 1.8 by 0.42 cm, opening along a single slit. (After Schuiteman & de Vogel, 2004).
Colours: Leaves dark green. Sepals and petals light greenish yellow with red-brown spots, lip yellow (Type) or white with light violet dots except on inside of mid-lobe (Leiden cult. 20030777). Column yellow (Type) or pale greenish with violet spots at the back (Leiden cult. 20030777). Anther light yellow (not present in the type). Fruit blackish green.
Habitat: Epiphyte. Altitude 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (Moluccas, New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 155-41M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.