Bulbophyllum obovatifolium J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 3 (1912) 76
Type: Gjellerup 580
Rhizome creeping, terete, branched, rooting, 0.23 cm diam. Pseudobulbs c. 1.5 cm apart, making an acute angle with the rhizome, subterete, grooved, obtuse, c. 1 by 0.33 cm; 1-leaved. Leaf erect, obovate, thick fleshy, in total c. 5.5-6 by 2.25-2.5 cm; base acuminate-narrowed in a 0.3-0.4 cm long, at the base conduplicate petiole; apex rounded; above obtusely angled, concave; underneath obtusely angled, convex, midrib not prominent. Inflorescences 1-flowered; peduncle thin, c. 4.5 cm long, the basal part with few small tubular sheaths. Floral bract tubular, acuminate, keeled, 0.55 cm long. Flower rather large, c. 5 cm long. Median sepal porrect, linear-lanceolate, keeled, acute, concave, c. 1.45 by 0.24 cm; top half in the middle conduplicate, laterally compressed; nerves 3, dorsally strongly prominent, the lateral ones branched. Lateral sepals decurrent on the short column-foot, falcate-decurved, c. 4.5 cm long; base obliquely narrowed, lanceolate, 0.6 cm wide; posterior margins cohering except in the uniplicate base; top half drawn out in a very long, terete, above grooved, acuminate, c. 2.5 cm long tail with obtuse tip; nerves 3 dorsally at the base strongly prominent. Petals very small, appressed to the column, parallel, lanceolate-triangular, slightly falcate, acute, 3-nerved, 0.33 by 0.1 cm; midrib in- and outside prominent. Lip very small, mobile, tongue-shaped, curved, obtuse, glabrous, 0.17 cm long; base truncate, channelled; margins narrow, recurved, with two ribs and a low small rib in the channel; top part convex; underneath keeled, keel in the basal part triangular-dilated and flat. Column laterally compressed, dorsally convex, 0.2 cm long, with large porrect, oblong, top, to the apex slightly narrowed, truncate, 3-dentate, the median tooth very small; stelidia porrect, parallel, subulate, straight, the triangular apex bidentate, with short upper tooth and longer lower one; stigma longitudinal, oblong, elliptic; column-foot making a very obtuse angle with the ovary, linear-oblong, incurved, truncate, 0.15 cm long, apex for a short part free and somewhat dilated. Anther cucullate, laterally compressed, 0.07 cm long; dorsal keel with acute top; apex submalleiform-extended. Pollinia 2 (?), laterally compressed, broadly subsemicordate, 0.04 cm long; outside convex. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.5 cm long; pedicel c. 2.4 long, 0.4 cm above the base articulate. (After Smith, 1913)
Colours: Leaves brownish yellow. underside yellow. Rhizome brown to brown-violet. Peduncle greenish yellow. Median sepal light brownish yelllow. Lateral sepals outside light brownish yellow, inside white flushed red-brown, at the base brownish violet. Petals greenish-white. Lip greenish-white, finely speckeld brown. Column greenish-white; column-foot white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map 96-1266M.jpg.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.