Eria bractescens Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1841) Misc. 18
Type: Loddiges cult. 214 (Singapore) (holo K)
Plant glabrous or slightly pilose. Pseudobulbs closely spaced, subcylindrical, straight or often slightly curved or narrowly ovoid, to 18 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, 3-leaved. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, apex obliquely 2-apiculate, shortly petiolate, to 25 by 3.5 cm. Racemes arising from the leaf-axils and about as long as the leaves, slender, rather laxly few- to several-flowered. Floral bracts oblong, acute, fairly large, 1 by 0.4-0.6 cm, glabrous. Flowers glabrous. Sepals 1 cm long. Median sepal narrowly lanceolate, acute, apex reflexed. Lateral sepals triangular, at the base 0.3-0.4 cm wide, strongly narrowed towards the apex; mentum short, obtuse. Petals similar to the median sepal, 0.8 by 0.2 cm. Lip at the base cuneate, strongly dilated towards the apex, c. 1 cm long, in the middle 0.5 cm wide; lateral lobes erect, obtriangular, acute; mid-lobe oblong, obtuse, entire, reflexed, almost in the whole length with three distinctly raised lamellae, which are dilated towards the apex, and papillose near the apex, especially the central one. Anther at the back apiculate. Stelidia large, acute. Ovary 2-2.5 cm long. (After Kraenzlin, 1911).
Colours: Floral bracts yellowish. Flowers white, more or less tinged yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest. Altitude 20-650 m.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, The Philippines), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Sikkim, India (NE), Andaman Isl.,.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-90M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.