Hippeophyllum papillosum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 180
Type: Schlechter 19406 (holo B, lost)
Epiphytic, decumbent, up to 15 cm high. Rhizome elongated, slightly woody, covered with short sheaths. Roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems very short, entirely covered by the leaf-sheaths. Leaves 4-5, erect or erect-patent, subfalcate, ligulate, acute, 4-8 cm long, at the base 0.4-0.6 cm wide. Inflorescence rather densely many-flowered, elongated, up to 12 cm long, about 0.9 cm diameter across the flowers, rachis covered with substellate papillae, peduncle terete, papillose, with several bract-like scale-leaves. Bracts elliptic, usually obtuse, more or less shorter than the ovary. Flowers minute, erect-patent. Sepals oblong, obtuse, glabrous, almost 1.5 mm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals linear, obtuse, slightly widened to the apex, almost as long as the sepals. Lip as long as the sepals, 1.2 mm wide across the lateral lobes, basal part broadly cuneate, concave, at the very base provided with a minute double callus; in apical third 3-lobed, glabrous, lateral lobes (when flattened) divergent, triangular, obtuse, mid-lobe much larger, subreniform, apex narrowly obtuse, apiculate, in the middle 0.75 mm wide. Column semiterete, half as long as the lip, glabrous. Anther suborbicular, broadly obtuse, glabrous, thecae short. Ovary subcylindrical, covered with substellate papillae, about 2.5 mm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914).
Colours: Flower green, lip yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland rainforest. Altitude 300 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 365-8M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, keep in light shade.