Glomera brachychaete (Schltr.) J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 8 (1912) 13
Basionym: Glossorhyncha brachychaete
Epiphyte, pendulous, up to 80 cm long; rhizome very short, roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous; stems compressed, leafy, entirely covered by the leaf-sheaths, branched; leaves erect-patent, narrowly lanceolate, apex oblique, subacute, at the base subpetiolate-narrowed, glabrous, 3-6.5 cm long, below the middle 4.5-8 cm wide; sheaths compressed, shiny, apex obtusely truncate, short fimbriate-ciliate, up to 2 cm long. Flowers solitary, glabrous. Spathe cucullate-clasping, obtuse, smooth. Floral bract hyaline, similar to but smaller than the spathe. Sepals oblong, obtuse with minute apiculum, towards the base somewhat dilated, 0.55 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base widened along the front margin, somewhat decurrent. Petals obliquely quadrate-oblong, apex truncate-broadly obtuse, as long as the sepals; blade of the lip subquadrate, in front truncate-broadly obtuse with small apiculum, almost 0.3 cm long and wide, spur oblongoid-subquadrate, in front retuse, 0.25 cm long and about as wide. Column short, less than half as long as the lip, clinandrium dentate, in outline broadly triangular. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914, as Glossorhyncha brachychaete Schltr.)
Colours: Flower white with two [dark] spots on the lip consisting of fine dots.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 900-1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 322-22M.JPG
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.