Bulbophyllum mystax Schuit. & de Vogel, J. Orchideenfreund 9 (2002) 216, fig., pl.
Type: Yumte 69 (L, spirit mat. only)
Rhizome rather short, creeping, sparsely branching; roots filiform, 0.7-1 mm in diameter. Pseudobulbs 2-7 mm apart, obliquely ovoid, 1-2 by 0.7-1.2 cm, longitudinally grooved with age. Leaf petiolate, petiole channelled, 5-9 mm long, blade elliptic, 4-7 by 2-3 cm, coriaceous, apex rounded, abruptly acute. Inflorescences arising from the base of the pseudobulb, erect, 1-flowered, 5-7 cm long. Peduncle very thin, 4-6 cm long, glabrous, consisting of two internodes, the basal internode much shorter than the upper internode, peduncular scale tubular, oblique, 3 mm long. Floral bract tubular, oblique, 4 mm long. Pedicel 1 cm long, ovary 7 mm long, glabrous, terete. Dorsal sepal linear-oblong, 1.7 cm by 3.3 mm, margins at apex incurved, acuminate. Lateral sepals free, lanceolate, 1.7 cm by 5.3 mm, concave, acute. Petals narrowly ovate-triangular, slightly falcate, 6.3 by 1.7 mm, acuminate. Lip lanceolate, 1.5-1.8 cm by 5 mm, glabrous, immobile, fleshy, in lateral view slightly sigmoid, at the base concave with erect margins, in the middle flat, in apical third convex, obtuse. Column curved, 3.5 mm long, swollen at the base, almost footless, clinandrium 3-lobulate with rounded lobules, lateral wings almost rectangular, retuse; rostellum truncate. Anther cucullate with a median ridge, 1 mm long, papillose. Pollinia 4 in two pairs, obliquely obovate, 0.8 mm long, laterally flattened, those of a pair unequal. (After Schuiteman & de Vogel, 2002)
Colours: Pseudobulbs light green, becoming dull purple with age. Leaf dull bluish green, paler green underneath. Inflorescence deep red-purple, ovary greenish tinged purple. Dorsal sepal whitish with 3 red-brown veins; lateral sepals light yellow with 3 broad red-brown, partly confluent stripes; petals white, at the base with a brown spot, lip purplish brown, margins and apex bright orange. Column white, anther pale yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in hill forest; 450-600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); see map 96-2188M.jpg.