Collabium carinatum

Collabium carinatum de Vogel, Orchid Monogr. 8 (1997) 152, fig. 73

Type: Reeve 3425 (holo L; iso CBG, E, K, LAE, NSW)

Plant 21-42 cm high excluding the inflorescence. Roots 1-5 on each rhizome part between 2 pseudobulbs, to 6 cm long, 0.1-0.2 cm diam. Rhizome not branching, fleshy, to 6 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm diam. Rhizome scales soon disintegrating, only remnants seen. Pseudobulbs alternatingly 1-3 bearing a leaf and 1 bearing an inflorescence, c. 1 cm apart, articulated at the top, when dried finely longitudinally wrinkled; leaf-bearing ones somewhat quadrangular, slightly tapering to the top, 1.4-2.5 cm long, 0.25-0.5 cm diam.; inflorescence-bearing ones cylindrical, 2-2.5 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm diam. Pseudobulb scales only remnants seen, probably 5-10.5 cm long. Petiole 3-7 cm by 0.2-0.4 cm. Leaf blade lanceolate, 12-40 by 4.3-10 cm; top acuminate; base attenuate; main nerves 5-7, below prominent, above somewhat prominent; small nerves many. Raceme 15-17-flowered. Scape 29-37.5 cm long, 0.2-0.4 cm diam.; internodes 3, lower one 7.5-9 cm long, higher ones 9.5-13 cm long; scales 2.4-6.3 cm long, 0.3-0.6 cm diam., top acute, nerves 11-21. Rachis angular, to 14.5 cm long, 0.2-0.25 cm diam.; internodes 0.3-2 cm long. Bracts reflexed, linear, 6-16 by 0.25-0.4 cm; top acute; nerves 3-5. Flowers rather laxly placed at irregular distances along the rachis, many open at the same time, rather widely open. Pedicel hardly grooved, 0.45-0.7 by 0.07-0.13 cm; ovary somewhat longitudinally grooved, 0.8-0.9 by 0.13-0.15 cm. Median sepal lanceolate, 0.85-1.1 by 0.18-0.25 cm; top acute; nerves 3, midrib prominent outside. Lateral sepals hardly unequal, lanceolate, falcate, 0.9-1.2 by 0.2-0.25 cm; top acute; nerves 3, midrib prominent outside. Petals hardly different in shape, obovate-lanceolate, hardly falcate, 0.85-0.88 by 0.17-0.2 cm; top (obliquely) acute to rounded; nerves 3, midrib prominent outside. Lip 0.85-1 cm long. Hypochile c. 0.5 by 0.5-0.8 cm; claw 0.2-0.3 by 0.08-0.2 cm; lateral lobes more or less erect, projecting in front, ligulate, 0.2-0.25 by 0.1-0.2 cm, with an obtuse to obliquely truncate top and an erose top margin; claw with 3 keels, the median one swollen; blade with 2 lateral keels, each of which between the lateral lobes of the lip turns into an oblique pyramid 0.12-0.2 cm long, 0.1-0.12 cm wide, c. 0.05 cm high which is hollow to a depth of 0.02-0.03 cm, each provided with a keel-like ridge with an extended, obtuse to rounded top, each keel beyond the pyramid continuing on the epichile; beyond the pyramids with a median keel. Epichile somewhat recurved, in outline broadly spathulate or rectangular, 0.45-0.55 by 0.45-0.6 cm; top obtuse to truncate to slightly emarginate, sometimes with acute tip; front margin erose, often somewhat incurved; keels 3, high, plate-like, thin, erect, up to 0.05-0.08 cm high with entire, irregular margin, in front lowering and ending c. 0.1 cm from the top of the epichile; between the lobes of the hypochile somewhat fleshy, starting from this place with a high, plate-like, thin median keel up to 0.03-0.05 cm high with an irregular, on the basal half often double crested margin, which ends about 0.15 cm from the top of the epichile. Column with a more or less slight counter clockwise torsion, upper part slightly curved forward, somewhat swollen at the truncate, obtuse-tipped top, 0.5-0.6 by 0.1-0.12 cm; seams c. 0.02 cm wide, ending laterally of the stigma and there not drawn out into triangular wings; column-foot with a slender, conical spur 0.45-0.5 cm long, 0.12-0.2 cm wide, with a rather acute, hardly emarginate top. Anther reniform, c. 0.1 by 0.15 cm; top broadly rounded with irregular margin; base emarginate. Pollinia c. 0.06 by 0.04 cm. Stigma semi-elliptic, c. 0.15 by 0.08-0.1 cm; rostellum truncate, 0.04-0.06 by 0.06-0.1 cm. Fruit body ellipsoid, c. 0.25 by 0.06 cm, on top the column and the back wall of the spur of the column-foot persistent; juga c. 0.07 cm wide, median with a faint ridge; valvae up to c. 0.4 cm wide, outside with a low rounded keel, hairs inside along the margin up to 0.07 cm long. Seeds fusiform, up to 0.09 by 0.01 cm; embryo elliptic, c. 0.005 by 0.003 cm. (After Van der Burgh and De Vogel, 1997).

Colours: Leaves spotted dark green. Sepals and petals green, lip white, the spur once recorded yellow, column white.

Habitat: Terrestrial in (secondary) upper montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1650-2350 m.

Flowering time in the wild: April, July, August.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 166-18M.JPG

Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, keep in shade.

Note: Differs from Collabium vesicatum especially in the conical, at the top narrowly obtuse spur.

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