Bulbophyllum gerlandianum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 7 (1886) 437
Type: Naumann s.n. (New Guinea, Segaar Bay)
Rhizome 2.5-8 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs 1-9 cm long, bract fibres thick, persistent. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 0.9-3 by 0.5-1.2 cm. Petiole 0.9-5 cm. Leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 8-24 by 2.3-8 cm, index (length/width) 2.1-7.3; rounded to obtuse. Flowers at most moderately opening. Median sepal c. somewhat recurved, or porrect with recurved top part, obovate-elliptic to ovate-triangular, Median sepal 12-30 by 6-14 mm, index 1.8-3; acute to acuminate, base rather narrowly attached. Lateral sepals free, porrect but converging and (almost) touching towards the tip, ovate to triangular, 15-33 by 7-14 mm, index 2-4.1; acute, base widely attached; otherwise as the median sepal. Petals somewhat recurved, elliptic to ovate, 14-28 by (4.2-)5-9.5 mm, index 2-4.4(-6.7 ); acute to acuminate, base narrowly attached. Lip recurved c. half-way, triangular with a drawn-out, narrowly linguiform top part, 5-9 by 2.5-6.5 mm, index 1.4-2.6 (all without artificial spreading); obtuse, margins with an acute angle above the base when the lip is observed in lateral view; thick; adaxially slightly concave and with two rather distinct, proximally diverging, rather thin ridges in the basal half, convex towards the tip; abaxially with a retuse ridge nearly up to c. 2/3 of the length of the lip, top part c. convex. Column 3-6 mm long, c. straight in profile, stigma without teeth at the base; column foot without ridges. Stelidia porrect, triangular, 0.8-1.8 mm long, rounded to acute, lower margin without wing. (After Vermeulen, ms.)
Colours: Sepals and petals (pale) yellow, densely spotted with red, often also suffused with red towards the margins, particularly the lateral sepals near the lower margin and the tip. Lip yellow or green, sometimes tipped purple. Flowers with a strong, sweet or spicy scent.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest; 250-1100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, May, June, September, November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-716M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.