Corybas subalpinus P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 83, fig. 48 ('subalinus')
Type: NGF (van Royen) 16151 (holo BISHL; iso BISH, L, LAE)
Small, 8 cm high, terrestrial or epiphyte. Tuber globose, 0.3 cm across. Stem 5.5 cm long, 3-sided, narrowly winged, glabrous. Cataphyll tubular, 0.6 cm long, acuminate, glabrous. Leaves cordate or triangular-ovate, 1.5-1.8(-3) by 1-1.4(-1.6) cm, acute, at the base cuneate, mid-rib sunken above, somewhat prominent below, basal nerves 2 on either side of mid-rib, only inner one reaching apical part of leaf, cross-veins 6 on either side of the mid-rib, connate to inner basal nerve, margin wrinkled; with numerous pellucid lenticels. Pedicel 0.2 cm long, glabrous. Floral bract linear. ovate at the base, 0.7-1.5 cm long, subulate in apical part, glabrous. Ovary curved cylindrical-clavate, 0.5 by 0.2 cm, 6-ribbed, glabrous. Median sepal 2.2-2.5 cm long, from a narrow boat-shaped base gradually widening and 0.6-1 cm wide in apical third, above that subabruptly hood-shaped widened to 1.2 cm, rounded and folded at the apex, many-nerved. Lateral sepals and petals glabrous, 0.5-1.1 cm long, sepals shorter than the petals. Lip tubular in the basal part, abruptly curved downward and spreading into an orbicular, 0.7-1 cm wide blade, tube ventrally inflated and laterally compressed, margin long-fimbriate but towards the lateral parts these hairs also inside along the margin, boss globose-ovoid, 0.6 by 0.3 by 0.3 cm; spurs conoid or cylindrical, 0.2-0.3 cm long, obtuse. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1983).
Colours: Stem white. Leaves dark green with white veins above, dark purple in the basal part and mid-rib white. Ovary pink. Median sepal dark purple. Lip white with dark purple spots and stripes on inside.
Habitat: Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 2400-3048 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 178-121M.JPG
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial.