Eria kaniensis Schltr. var. constricta J.J.Sm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 66 (1934) 181
Type: Mayr 769 (syn B, lost); 987 (syn B, lost)
Pseudobulbs ovoid, sharply 4-angular, 4.2 cm long, 2-leaved, with a few, up to 9.5 cm long cataphylls at the base. Leaves erect, lanceolate, acuminate, base gradually narrowed into a channelled petiole, when dried with c. 5 prominent nerves, with thinner nerves in between, petiole 3-7.5 cm long, the petiole included 22.5-29.5 cm long, 2.1 cm wide. Inflorescence arising from the apex of the pseudobulbs, erect, laxly several- to many-flowered, peduncle 8.5-11 cm long, compressed, with 3-4 small, tubular sheaths, rachis winged, 18.5-26 cm long, wings decurrent on the bracts. Floral bracts patent, persistent, ovate, acuminate, acute, concave, keeled, appressed-puberulous, 5-nerved, 1.2 cm long, 0.57 cm wide. Flowers 2.3 cm long, sepals and petals divergent. Median sepal ovate-lanceolate, 2 by 0.47 cm wide, gradually narrowed towards the apex, acute, 3-nerved, outer nerves forked at base. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate-triangular, gradually narrowed towards the apex, acute, 3-(5-)nerved, mid-rib dorsally prominent, almost 2.2 cm long, at the base 0.7 cm wide, above the base 0.58 cm wide; mentum short, 0.55 cm long, appressed to the ovary, conical, obtuse, dorsally convex. Petals obliquely rhombic-lanceolate, gradually long narrowed towards the apex, acute, 3-nerved, 1.93 cm long, above the base almost 0.5 cm wide. Lip almost entire, oblong-elliptic, somewhat beyond the middle slightly constricted, hypochile, cuneate-obovate, almost wholly entire, epichile ovate, obtuse, apiculate, finely erose-crenulate, with 3 nerves that are thickened in basal 3/5, and in basal 2/5 merged in a fascicle of linear thickenings, outer nerves branched, with 7 irregular, finely laciniate and interrupted keels along the nerves on the epichile, lip in total 1.75 cm long, at the constriction 0.63 cm wide, hypochile 0.9-1 cm long, 0.66 to almost 0.7 cm wide, at the base 0.2 cm wide, epichile 0.75-0.85 cm long, 0.73-0.75 cm wide. Column dorsally slightly curved and convex with a longitudinal rib, concave inn front, rather wide, oblong, margins on either side of the rostellum with a triangular acute tooth, back wall of the clinandrium distinctly elongated, transversely quadrangular, entire, truncate, with a triangular filament, 0.4 cm long. Anther cucullate, transversely elliptic, 0.25 by 0.23 cm wide, rounded, keeled-gibbose, at the back extended into conspicuous, retuse lobules containing the pollinia. Rostellum conspicuous, erect, quadrangular, apex broadly retuse, bidentate, margins serrulate. Stigma located well below the rostellum, rounded, margins somewhat raised. Column-foot at the base appressed to the ovary, incurved, linear, truncate, concave, when not flattened 0.55 cm long. Ovary pedicellate, clavate-triangular, apex strongly oblique, 0.66 cm long. (After Smith, 1934).
Colours: Flower whitish.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1400-1500 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-347M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.