Malaxis incurva (J.J.Sm.) Ames & C.Schweinf. in Ames, Orchidaceae 6 (1920) 73
Basionym: Microstylis incurva
Stem erect, rooting at the base, slender, 7-8 cm long, c. 7-leaved. Leaves petiolate, obliquely oblong-ovate, acutely acuminate, undulate, with five prominent nerves underneath, 6.5-7.5 cm long, 2.5-2.7 cm wide; petiole including the tubular sheath 2-3 cm long. Inflorescence erect, densely very many-flowered, to 23 cm long, peduncle narrowly winged, 11-13 cm long, with a few sublinear scales. Floral bracts reflexed, sublinear, sharply acute, 0.47 cm long, upper ones smaller. Flowers 0.47 cm wide, 0.93 cm long. Median sepal pointing downwards, oblong-ovate, obtuse, convex, 3-nerved, 0.58 cm long, 0.27 cm wide. Lateral sepals erect, obliquely ovate, obtuse, concave, 3-nerved, 0.4 cm long, 0.27 cm wide. Petals revolute, linear, obtuse, convex, 1-nerved, 0.47 cm long, 0.07 cm wide. Lip at the base strongly sagittate, in front rounded, entire, with a very small, obtuse lobule at the apex, with two longitudinal, slightly curved, strong, thickly carnose keels running from the base almost to the apex, with a small and shorter third rib in between, lip in total 0.6 cm long, 0.43 cm wide; auricles long, parallel, narrowly triangular, somewhat acute, 0.3 cm long. Column short, rectangularly incurved, almost hammer-shaped, dorsally with a triangular acute tooth, 0.18 cm long, auricles large, vertical, divergent, quadrangular, subtruncate. Anther very small, shorter than the auricles. Pollinia 4, obovate. Rostellum rounded-triangular. Ovary 6-ribbed, c. 0.35 cm long, making an angle with the 0.4 cm long pedicel. Fruit erect, oblong-clavate, at the apex obtuse, at the base acute, 0.85 cm long, pedicel 0.4-0.5 cm long. (After Smith, 1909)
Colours: Flowers light orange-yellow, lip darker so, column blackish brown.
Habitat: Terrestrial in Metroxylon swamp; 0 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 431-172M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.