Oberonia bifida Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 109
Type: Schlechter 14081 (holo B, lost; iso K)
Epiphytic, erect, with one or several stems, c. 12 cm high; roots filiform, elongated, glabrous, flexuose. Stem laxly c. 6-leaved, at the base covered with short cataphylls, weakly flexuose. Leaves erect-patent, linear, sharply acute, sheathing at the base, 3-5 cm long, near the middle 0.3 cm wide; sheaths ancipitous, long connate along their front margins. Inflorescence erect, cylindrical, rather dense, surpassing the upper leaves, 6.5 cm long, 0.4 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, as long as the ovary. Flowers almost whorled, patent, not resupinate. Median sepal ovate, subobtuse. Lateral sepals as large, ovate, obtuse, somewhat oblique, 0.1 cm long. Petals linear-oblong, obtuse, as long as the sepals. Lip at the base oblong, 0.15 cm long, somewhat concave, indistinctly auriculate, ligulate, deeply bilobed, the lobes subfalcate, oblong, obtuse. Column rather thick, very short. Ovary shortly pedicellate, cylindrical, 0.15 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1905)
Colours: Flowers orange.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland and montane forest; 450 to 1450 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, March, June, September, November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, ?Samoa.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 485-38M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm to intermediate growing epiphyte.