Octarrhena angustissima (Schltr.) Schuit., Blumea 48 (2003) 511
Basionym: Chitonanthera angustissima
Epiphytic, overhanging or ascending, bushy, to 30 cm long. Rhizome very short. Stems unbranched, strongly flexuose, laxly leaved, slender. Leaves equitant, very narrowly linear, 1.2-2 by 0.1 cm, acute, dorsally long decurrent on the stem, somewhat carnose, glabrous. Inflorescences few-flowered, erect-patent, much shorter than the leaf, usually less than 0.4 cm long, peduncle very short. Floral bracts deltoid, shorter than the ovary. Flowers minute, about 0.3 cm across. Sepals patent, 0.13 cm long. Median sepal broadly elliptic, obtuse. Lateral sepals oblique, broadly ovate, subobtuse. Petals almost 3 times shorter than the sepals, obliquely oblong-spathulate, obtuse, glabrous. Lip almost twice as long as the petals, oblong-ligulate, c. 0.1 cm long, strongly obtuse, gradually slightly narrowed towards the base, minutely papillose-puberulous. Column short, thick, hardly surpassing the petals; clinandrium dorsally obtusely bilobed; rostellum short, triangular; stigma transverse, very narrow. Ovary sessile, short, cylindrical, glabrous. (After Schlechter, 1923)
Colours: Flowers pale ochrish red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 1500 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 486-62M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.