Mediocalcar geniculatum

Mediocalcar geniculatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 3 (1912) 70

Type: Gjellerup 533 (p.p.) (holo BO, spirit material)

Roots covered with minute root-hairs, 0.5 mm thick. Rhizome creeping, rather sparsely branching, 2 mm thick. Cataphylls of the young shoot 5-8, closely appressed, densely verrucose (see note 2 below), subacute, keeled near the tip. Pseudobulbs erect to suberect, (0.5-)1.5-3.5(-6) cm apart, narrowly conical to subcylindrical, (0.5-)2-4 cm long, 3-5 mm across at the base; base not elongated. Leaves two per pseudobulb, petiolate, the blade elliptic (index 2-4.5), (1-)2-5(-6) cm by (7-)10-20(-25) mm, petiole (4-)10-20 mm long; glabrous to slightly warty above, glabrous below; margin minutely crenulate; apex acute to subacute, rarely obtuse, minutely bilobulate, mucronate, with the mucro longer than the lobules; carnose. Inflorescences usually in pairs, occasionally solitary, synanthous, at the base with an inconspicuous scale 1 mm long. Peduncle 11-30 mm long, at the apex with a triangular to subulate bract 1.5-2 mm long. Pedicel and ovary 11-13 mm long. Flowers narrowly urceolate, slightly oblique, 10-11 mm long. Synsepalum 10-11 mm long and 11-13 mm wide when cut open and flattened; free tips only slightly spreading, 3 mm long, subacute. Petals linear to subspathulate (index 5.5-6), 8-9 by 1.5 mm; apex acute to acuminate; 3-nerved. Lip 8-9 by 3 mm in natural position, the blade ovate when flattened; claw 4-5 by 2.5 mm, narrowing towards the base, auricles hardly developed; apex acute, somewhat recurved; margins erect, clasping the column; the blade with a shallow depression, 1 mm deep. Column clavate, 5-5.5 mm long, 2 mm wide at the apex; foot conspicuous, 1.5 mm long, geniculate. Fruit cylindrical-subclavate, 23-25 mm long, 4 mm across. (After Schuiteman, 1997)

Colours: Flowers bright red to orange-red with yellowish green to rather dark green tips. Peduncle and ovary red. Leaves olive-green, paler green below, usually with red-brown or purplish margins. Pseudobulbs olive-green to dull purple.

Habitat: Epiphyte in moss forest; 1600-3200 m.

Flowering time in the wild: April, May, June, July, August, November, December.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 436-28M.JPG.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.

Notes: Mediocalcar geniculatum may be recognised by the elliptic, clearly stalked leaves. It should be compared with Mediocalcar crenulatum and Mediocalcar stevenscoodei.

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