Eria leucotricha Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 180
Type: Schlechter 14348 (holo B, lost)
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, almost straight, terete, 45-70 cm by 7 mm, several-leaved, entirely covered by the leaf-sheaths. Leaf sheaths 3-4 cm long, glabrous. Leaves erect-patent to patent, linear, slightly narrowing to the base, 15-25 by 0.8-1 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, apex acute. Inflorescences 2-4 in a terminal fascicle, racemose, 13-20 cm long, densely covered with white stellate hairs, peduncle-scales several, small, linear-lanceolate, acuminate; rachis 6-8 cm long, rather densely many-flowered. Floral bracts erect-patent, narrowly lanceolate, slightly longer than the flowers, apex acuminate, almost glabrous. Pedicel and ovary 0.4-0.5 cm long, clavate, covered with white stellate hairs. Flowers c. 0.6 cm across. Sepals outside covered with white stellate hairs. Dorsal sepal ovate, 0.4 cm long, apex narrowly obtuse. Lateral sepals oblique, subfalcate, at the base much widened along the front margin, 0.4 cm by 4 mm. Petals obliquely oblong, 0.3 cm long, glabrous, apex obtusely acuminate. Lip 3-lobed, in outline obovate, 0.4 by 0.4 cm, with 4 calli in a row along the median, near the middle with two parallel lamellae, the lamellae in front acute, truncate; lateral lobes small, acute; mid-lobe large, subtruncate, minutely apiculate. Column short. Anther broadly rounded. (After Schlechter, 1905).
Colours: Flower white, lip with red spots.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-395M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.