Mediocalcar stevenscoodei P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 675, fig. 239
Type: LAE (Stevens & Coode) 51427 (holo LAE, also alc.; iso CANB, K, L)
Roots densely covered with root hairs, c. 1 mm thick. Rhizome creeping, infrequently branching, 1.5-3 mm thick. Cataphylls 4-6, closely appressed, slightly verrucose, subacute, keeled near the tip. Pseudobulbs 2-3 cm apart, cylindrical to ellipsoid, 1-2 cm long, 3-5 mm across; base elongated, enveloping the rhizome, 10-15 mm long, free top ascending, 7-10 mm long. Leaves two or not rarely three per pseudobulb, subpetiolate, the blade elliptic to broadly elliptic (index 2-6), 2.5-3.5 cm by 6-13.5 mm, petiole up to 2 mm long; glabrous, keeled below; margin minutely erose; apex rounded, minutely bilobulate, mucronate, with the mucro about as long as the lobules; carnose. Inflorescences solitary or in pairs, synanthous, at the base with an inconspicuous scale c. 1 mm long. Peduncle 10-13 mm long, at the apex with an obscurely triangular bract c. 1 mm long. Pedicel and ovary c. 10 mm long. Flowers narrowly urceolate, slightly oblique, 12.5 mm long. Synsepalum c. 13 mm long and 16.5 mm wide when cut open and flattened; free tips only slightly spreading, 4.7 mm long, obtuse. Lateral sepals smooth on outside. Petals linear-oblanceolate (index 6.2), 12 by 1.9 mm; apex acute; 3-nerved. Lip 9.8 by 3.5 mm in natural position, the blade ovate when flattened; claw strongly sigmoid, when straightened c. 7 by 1.7 mm, narrowing towards the base, auricles not or hardly developed; apex acuminate, straight; margins erect; the blade with a shallow depression, c. 1 mm deep. Column clavate, 8.2 mm long, 2.5 mm wide at the apex; foot very short. Fruit ellipsoid, 15-20 mm long, 3-4 mm across. (After Schuiteman, 1997)
Colours: Flowers red with green tips. Leaves shiny.
Habitat: Epiphyte in subalpine forest; 2840-3200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May, June, August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 436-50M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte, requires light position.
Notes: Although superficialy similar to the common Mediocalcar agathodaemonis this very local species is actually closer in many ways to Mediocalcar pygmaeum, although much more robust in all parts.