Dryadorchis singularis (J.J.Sm.) Christenson & Schuit., Blumea 40 (1995) 424
Basionym: Chamaeanthus singularis
Stem short, rooting, c. 3-leaved. Leaves half-twisted at the base, obliquely oblong, carnose, somewhat shiny, 13 by 4.4 cm, obtuse, unequally bidentate, narrowed at the base, convex, mid-rib grooved above, obtusely keeled below; sheaths short, tubular, laterally compressed. Inflorescence puncturing the sheath near the base, patent, laxly several-flowered, at intervals producing a few flowers simultaneously; peduncle thin, terete, 17 cm long, with c. 4 shortly tubular, at the apex apiculate-keeled, 0.25-0.3 long scales; rachis thicker than the peduncle, acutely 4-angled, the sides concave, 10 cm long. Floral bracts very small, inserted on a swelling, appressed to the pedicel, triangular, obtuse, concave, 0.15 cm long. Flowers turned to all sides, ephemeral, fragrant, with the petals more or less reflexed, 2-2.7 cm wide. Median sepal oblong, slightly dilated towards the apex, obtuse, strongly concave, at the base 3-nerved, slightly over 1 cm long, 0.4 cm wide. Lateral sepals shortly decurrent on the column-foot, close together, deflexed, strongly oblique, almost spathulate-obovate, obtuse, along the upper margin obtusely angled, along the lower margin towards the apex strongly dilated and rounded, concave, about 5-nerved, slightly over 1 cm long, at the apex 0.65 cm wide, at the base 0.25 cm wide. Petals reflexed, incurved at the apex, obliquely obovate-oblong, slightly falcate-decurved, obtuse, concave, 3-nerved, 0.9 by 0.33 cm. Lip mobile, attached to the apex of the column-foot, porrect, 3-lobed, not spurred but at the base fairly deeply concave, in outline oblong, papillose all over; lateral lobes basal, erect, obliquely triangular, obtuse, convex, outside concave, between the lateral lobes with an erect appendage which is in the basal part carnose, angular, above obliquely cup-shaped with recurved margins, the appendage at the back with two divergent, obliquely lanceolate-triangular lobules, and joined by four irregularly crenulate, undulate, longitudinal membranes to the lateral lobes; lip underneath convex and above the point of insertion deeply concave-truncate and 6-grooved, along the basal margins irregularly crenate, apical part of the lip (mid-lobe) large, porrect, straight, thickly carnose, oblong, towards the apex dilated, at the apex rounded, inside channelled-concave, on either side near the middle with a transverse, widely patent, vertical, triangular, obtuse, carnose appendage; lip 0.76 cm long, across the lateral lobes 0.28 cm wide, above the lateral lobes narrowed to 0.14 cm, across the median appendages 0.35 cm wide and across the apex of the lip 0.28 cm wide. Column slightly curved, thickened towards the apex, broadly obtuse, 0.57 cm long, clinandrium concave. Anther cucullate, bilobed, abruptly obtusely rostrate, very thin-textured, 0.18 cm wide. Pollinia 2, dorsally compressed, stipe oblong, viscidium small. Stigma deeply concave, subovate. Column-foot short, making a broadly obtuse angle with the ovary, incurved, dorsally compressed, slightly dilated towards the apex, truncate, on either side papillose-puberulous, in upper half free. Ovary pedicellate, thin, 1.35 cm long. (After Smith, 1916, as Sarcochilus singularis (J.J.Sm.) J.J.Sm.).
Colours: Leaves deep green above, paler below. Inflorescence green. Median sepal inside pale cinnamon-brown, at the base and apex yellowish. Lateral sepals inside with 4 or 5 transverse, pale cinnamon-brown spots. Petals inside pale cinnamon-brown. Lip pure white, at the base yellowish, above the base with a transverse pale cinnamon-brown bar, the appendage with pale cinnamon-brown spots bordered with yellow, in front of the appendage with an irregular, pale cinnamon-brown band, on the mid-lobe with a broad, transverse, pale cinnamon-brown band with two yellow spots, in the basal part on the sides with a longitudinal, cinnamon-brown line. Column pale cinnamon-brown in the basal part, pale greenish yellow in the apical part, column-foot cinnamon-brown, tip yellowish.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest. Altitude 50 m.
Flowering time in the wild: March.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 258-4M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.