Corybas porphyrus P.Royen, Phanerog. Monogr. 16 (1983) 80, fig. 19
Type: BW (van der Sijde) 5592 (holo L; iso BISH)
Small, 3-6 cm high terrestrial. Tuber ovoid, 0.6 by 0.4 cm. Stem 2-5 cm high, 3-winged, glabrous. Cataphyll tubular, 0.9-1.2 cm long, subcaudate, glabrous. Leaves narrowly ovate-cordate, 3-3.2 by 2.3-2.5 cm, acuminate, at the base cordate, mid-rib sunken above, prominent below mainly towards base, basal nerves 3 on either side of the mid-rib, only the 2 inner ones reaching the apical part of the leaf-blade, outer very short, cross-veins 5 or 6, connate to inner basal nerves, branched or unbranched, venation widely reticulate; relatively densely pellucid lenticellate. Pedicel 0.2-0.3 cm long, glabrous. Floral bract linear but widened at the base, boat-shaped, 1.4 cm long, subulate-acute, glabrous. Median sepal strongly curved, from a boat-shaped, oblong base gradually widening to the spathulate, 1 by 1 cm large hood, rounded and finely apiculate, 3-nerved in basal part, 14-nerved on hood, glabrous. Lateral sepals linear, widened and boat-shaped at the base, glabrous, 3 cm long. Petals similar to the lateral sepals, 2.2 cm long. Lip from a tubular, basal, 0.8 cm long part abruptly curved downward and spreading, forming an orbicular, 0.8 by 0.8 cm large blade, obtuse, margin coarsely fimbriate, 3-nerved at the base, 25-nerved near the margin, glabrous, boss elongate-ovoid, crest-like; spurs conoid, 0.15 cm long, obtuse, glabrous. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1983).
Colours: Flowers dark violet.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Altitude 900 m.
Flowering time in the wild: June.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 178-97M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.