Glossorhyncha chlorantha

Glossorhyncha chlorantha P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 640, fig. 226

Type: Brass & Collins 31290 (holo K; iso L)

Pendulous, up to 40 cm long, epiphytic, branched herb. Stems terete, glabrous. Leaf erect-patent, subcoriaceous, glabrous, linear, widened at base, or slightly elliptic-linear, 1.5-4.5 by 0.2-0.5 cm, 2-lobed at tip, lobes rather far apart, unequal and obtuse, mid-rib shallowly grooved to prominent above, prominent below, lateral nerves 2-5 on either side of mid-rib, shallowly grooved or flat above, prominent below, margin membranous, often wavy, irregularly scattered papillate mainly in apical half but sometimes also in lower half; sheaths tubular, 0.8-2.2 cm long, ribbed, warty mainly on ribs, along apical margin with 0.1-0.3 cm long bristles, each scattered warty. Spathe scattered warty, oblong-obovoid, 1.7 by 0.4 cm, apiculate, 5-7-nerved. Floral bract glabrous, thinner and slightly shorter, with less nerves than spathe. Ovary glabrous, narrowly falcate-clavate, 1.5 by 0.2 cm, 3-grooved, with 6 narrow crests in 3 pairs along grooves. Median sepal with a few papillae on outside at tip only, broadly oblong-ovate, 1.5 by 0.5 cm, rounded, conoid-apiculate, 5-nerved at base, up to 9-nerved in higher part. Lateral sepals glabrous, free, obliquely oblong-ovate or elliptic-ovate, falcate, 1.4 by 0.5 cm, obtuse at tip, 5-nerved, oblong-ovate auriculate at base. Petals with a few papillae on outside near tip, similar to median sepal but 1.2 by 0.5 cm, rather obtuse, 5-nerved at base, up to 7-nerved in higher parts. Lip adnate to base of column, free part glabrous, cordate, 3-lobed, 0.7 by 0.7 cm, obtuse, 7-nerved, mid-rib crested above and crest slightly widened towards tip, grooved on underside. Spur clavate, 0.14 cm long, 2-lobed and slightly flattened at tip. Column curved, 0.25 by 0.3 by 0.25 cm, clinandrium 3-lobed, each lobe 2- or 3-lobulate. Anther not seen. Capsule obovoid-clavate, up to 2 by 0.7 cm, 3-grooved. (After Van Royen, 1979).

Colours: Flower green.

Habitat: Epiphyte in upper montane forest. Altitude 3100 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 325-19M.JPG

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.

Note: The genus Glossorhyncha is here considered to be a synonym of Glomera. For the present species a name under Glomera is not yet available; it may be a species already described under a different name.

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