Bulbophyllum folliculiferum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 13 (1914) 69
Type: Janowsky 155
Rhizome elongated, pendulous, flexuous, c. 25 cm or more by up to 0.28 cm; initially covered with large, soon disintegrating sheaths. Roots elongated, sparsely laxly appressed. Pseudobulbs alternating in two rows, elongated,, recurved, to the apex attenuate, unequally obtuse quadrangular, the sides broadly-channelled, minutely dotted, c. 1.2-2 by 0.37-0.4 cm; ; basal part adnate to the rhizome 0.7-0.9 cm long; 1-leaved. Leaf linear-lanceolate, gradually very acutely narrowed, thinly coriaceous, when dried papery, c. 12.5-19.5 by 1.35-1.7 cm; base narrowed and conduplicate; midrib above grooved, below prominent. Inflorescences 1-flowered from the nodes of the rhizome, fascicled, short; peduncle thin, 0.6 cm long. Floral bract base at the base tightly tubular, above obliquely funnel-shaped, acute, keeled, 0.35 cm long. Flower medium size; sepals at the base for 0.4 cm connate, for the rest the lateral sepals with their margins overlapping and adhering to the median sepal, forming a kind of follicle of 1.3 by 0.95 cm, elliptic when viewed from above, which is deeply grooved between the lateral sepals and the median sepal, and which has a narrowly elliptic opening underneath between the lateral sepals. Median sepal oblong-ovate, very shortly acuminate, strongly concave, 5-nerved, c. 1.6 cm long; slightly over 0.7 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, falcate, apiculate, strongly concave, 5-nerved, c. 1.4 by 0.67 cm, when entirely flattened 0.78-0.83 cm wide; upper margin strongly curved. Petals parallel, porrect, obliquely suborbicular-ovate, broadly obtuse, somewhat concave, 3-nerved, 0.6 by 0.46 cm. Lip small, ligament oblong, inserted on the column-foot, mobile, curved, in lateral view falcate-triangular, fleshy, 0.34 by 0.r6 cm; basal part with erect, rounded-triangular margins, channelled with a longitudinal groove in a small channel, above convex; underneath with 2 strong keels separated by a small channel tall above dilated cm long; in front in margins dilated base on either side in lobule obtuse extended slightly papillose with, the sides outside in the basal part and base back above the ligament hollow; apex narrowed, subacute. Column in total 0.3 cm long, with shortly triangular apex; stigma deeply concave, longitudinal, linear-lanceolate; stelidia very long, much longer than the anther, filiform-subulate, falcate, 0.18 cm long.; column-foot making an obtuse angle with the ovary, straight, fleshy, above excavate, the apex truncate and on either side dilated in a thick, obtuse, slightly incurved, 0.16 cm long lobule. Anther cucullate, laterally compressed, 0.08 cm long; connective strongly convex-thickened, obtuse. Pollinia 4, laterally compressed, in lateral view triangular-subobovate, outside convex, 0.05 cm long; the inner ones much smaller and thinner. Ovary obconical, 6-grooved, minutely finely punctate, 0.16 cm long; pedicel thin, curved, c. 1.3 cm long, 0.25 cm above the base articulate. Fruit fusiform, strongly 6-ribbed, in immature state c. 3.1 by 0.8 cm. (After Smith, 1916)
Colours: Flower dark green spotted red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 850 m.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-674M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.