Glossorhyncha diffusa

Glossorhyncha diffusa P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 601, fig. 210

Type: Brass 9041 (holo L; iso BRI)

Much branched, scrambling herb. Stems slender, glabrous. Leaves patent, coriaceous, glabrous, lanceolate-ovate to linear-ovate, 0.6-1.6 by 0.1 cm, obtuse and dorsoventrally flattened at tip, mid-rib grooved above, crested below, lateral nerves one on either side of mid-rib but visible on underside only and markedly crested; sheaths warty mainly on the ribs, tubular, 0.2-0.8 cm long, at tip setose-fimbriate, bristles very sparsely finely warty or glabrous, ribbed. Spathe obovoid-tubular, 1.1 by 0.3 cm, obtuse and apiculate, 5-6-nerved, scattered warty mainly on the nerves. Ovary narrowly oblong-clavate, 1.5 by 0.15 cm, 3-sided, glabrous. Median sepal glabrous, linear, but ovate in basal part, 1.8 by 0.3 cm, subacute, 5-nerved. Lateral sepal free, glabrous, similar to median sepal, at base with an oblong 0.6 by 0.1 cm large obtuse appendage, 8-nerved. Petals glabrous, oblong-elliptic, 1.5 by 0.25 cm, rather obtuse, 5-nerved. Lip adnate to base of column, free part broadly ovate-rhombic, 3-lobed, 0.35 by 0.4 cm, obtuse and thickened at tip, very finely papillate on inside and along margin, nerves not visible; spur glabrous, clavate, 1.5 by 0.15 cm, dorsally compressed, 2-lobed at tip. Column short, curved, 0.2 by 0.2 by 0.15 cm, clinandrium erose-lobed. Anther not seen. Capsule not seen. (After Van Royen, 1979).

Colours: Flowers brownish pink.

Habitat: Probably terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 3225 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 325-26M.JPG

Cultivation: Probably a cool growing terrestrial.

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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