Oberonia inversiflora J.J.Sm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10 (1912) 487
Type: Bogor cult. (Lorentz Exp. (Rachmat 431)) s.n. (holo BO; iso L, possible, s.n., VII-1912, no coll.)
Stem short, c. 6-leaved. Leaves not articulated, elongated, linear, falcate, sharply acute, at the base split in front and overlapping, somewhat carnose, green, to 40 cm long, the lower ones smaller, 1.25-1.5 cm wide, sheathing part 0.7-1.2 cm long. Inflorescence elongated, cylindrical, densely many-flowered, at the apex lax, 38 cm long, 0.6-0.63 cm diam. [across the flowers], peduncle 8 cm long, in the basal part laterally compressed, with a leaf-like scale, rachis thick, many-ribbed, puberulous, 0.34 cm diam. Floral bracts appressed, slender, lanceolate, very narrowly acuminate, minutely lacerate, 0.23 cm long. Flowers minute, very dense, almost whorled, incurved towards the rachis, 0.17 cm wide, smelling somewhat like yeast, with the sepals more or less incurved, not reflexed. Median sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, at the base broad, concave, dorsally especially towards the apex muriculate-puberulous, 0.07 by 0.06 cm. Lateral sepals oblique ovate, obtuse, concave, dorsally especially towards the apex muriculate-puberulous, almost 0.1 cm long, 0.07 cm wide. Petals obliquely oblong-ovate, obtuse, concave, 0.08 cm long, 0.04 cm wide. Lip concave, 3-lobed, at the base with a semiorbicular pit with raised margins, in front of the pit with a transverse groove separating the hypochile from the epichile (mid-lobe), carnose, when flattened in outline subquadrangular, 0.15 cm long, 0.13 cm wide; lateral lobes auricle-like, clasping the column, obliquely triangular, obtuse, 0.03 cm long; mid-lobe large, transversely angular-elliptic, 0.07 by 0.13 cm, at the apex slightly incurved, broadly retuse, bilobulate, in the sinus with a very indistinct obtuse lobule. Column very short, 0.04 cm long, wings somewhat dilated, obtuse, clinandrium concave. Anther cucullate, transversely elliptic, triangular-rostrate, 0.03 cm wide. Pollinia 4, united into two obovate bodies. Ovary short, except for the upper side coarsely white-pubescent, 0.08 cm long. (After Smith, 1913)
Colours: Leaves green, rachis of inflorescence brownish. Floral bracts white, brownish in basal half. Sepals brownish, petals brownish tinged green, lip pale green; column pale brownish green, shiny; anther light green; pollinia yellow, shiny.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: January.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 485-161M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.