Eria truncicola Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 660
Type: Schlechter 17633 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, G, L, NSW)
Epiphyte, scrambling, up to 40 cm long: rhizome elongated, flexuose, covered with clasping scale-leaves, somewhat thickened; roots filiform, very thin, elongated, flexuose, very minutely puberulous; .pseudobulbs subfusiform-cylindrical, 3-7 cm distant, 5-20 cm long, in the middle about 0.6-1.7 cm diameter, at first covered with sheaths which soon become dry, at apex 5-8-leaved; leaves erect-patent, elliptic-ligulate, acute, gradually narrowed towards the base, glabrous, 10-20 cm long, near the middle 1.2-2.5 cm wide. Inflorescences lateral from the upper half of the pseudobulbs, erect or erect-patent, more or less densely many-flowered, 6-12 cm long, peduncle very short; bracts recurved, elliptic, short acuminate, distinctly less than half as long as the ovary. Flowers erect-patent, glabrous. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, subacute, 0.45 cm long. Lateral sepals subfalcate, somewhat shorter than the median sepal, at the base somewhat dilated along the front margins, mentum short, obtuse. Petals obliquely linear-lanceolate, narrowly obtuse, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline broadly rhombic, at the base semiorbicular, below the middle weakly 3-lobed, 0.2 cm long, between the apices of the lateral lobes 0.2-cm wide, in basal third with two short, obtuse lamellae, lateral lobes patent, falcate-triangular, obtuse, very small, mid-lobe large, triangular, narrowly obtuse, in the middle on either side sublobulate-dilated. Column very short, glabrous, almost 0.1 cm high, column-foot short, lateral lobes of the clinandrium truncate, median lobe hardly developed. Anther subreniform-cucullate, broadly umbonate, glabrous, ovary slender, sparsely stellate-puberulous, 0.45 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flower white, lip in the middle with a red spot.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 450-1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 282-762M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.
Note: Similar in its long creeping habit to Eria cycloglossa.