Pedilochilus sarawakatense

Pedilochilus sarawakatense P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 275, fig. 97 ('sarawakatensis')

Type: Hoogland 9900 (holo L)

Small, up to 14 cm high, epiphytic herb. Rhizome short, creeping. Roots fleshy, greyish, glabrous. Pseudobulbs glabrous, relatively apart, at right angle to the rhizome, subglobose when young, ovoid when mature, 5-7 by 3-4.5 mm, at base with glabrous bracts, ovate, 8-75 mm long, acutish, crested. Leaves erect, coriaceous, glabrous but margin papillate along entire length, linear-spathulate, 2.5-9 cm by 2-4.5 mm, obtuse but seemingly acute by the extended midrib, petiole-like at base, midrib grooved above, prominent below, lateral nerves 2-4 on either side of midrib, with less developed ones in between, prominulous above, more distinct below, margin revolute or entire leaf V-shaped in cross-section. Inflorescence solitary or in bundles of 2-4. Peduncle glabrous, up to 74 cm long, at base with a tubular, 6-9 mm long glabrous bract, obliquely truncate, obtuse and mucronulate, crested, with one sheath about halfway of the same shape and size as the lower ones. Floral bracts glabrous, more infundibuliform than lower bracts. Pedicel glabrous, with scattered brown flakes, slender, 8-70 mm long, curved. Ovary glabrous, claviform, 2-3 mm long, 6-grooved. Median sepal fimbriate along entire margin and on inside mainly along midrib, on outside scattered papillate, ovate or lanceolate, 74-15.5 by 5-6 mm, folded and acute at tip, narrowed at base, 3- or 5-nerved, the 2 outermost lateral nerves faint or absent, the 3 inner crested on outside, margin wavy. Lateral sepals finely papillate along entire margin, with longer papillae in a narrow patch along basal half of upper margin, elliptic, slightly oblique, 77-79 by 6-7 mm, folded and acute at tip, 5-nerved, outermost nerves ribbed on outside in basal part, inner 2 up to halfway and midrib up to the tip. Lateral petals glabrous, hatchetshaped, 8 by 4 mm, acute, with unequal wings, midrib thickened, winged on outside, hollowed on inside, margins wavy. Lip glabrous, 15 by 7.5 mm, broadly obovate-spathulate in outline, epichilium obovate-cordate, 2 by 1 mm, obtuse, mesochilium with a rather narrow opening, 5-nerved, hypochilium at tip with 2 lateral oblique falcate-quadrangular appendages, 1.5 by 0.8 mm, obtuse, between these a narrow, oblong, table-like crested appendage, base of hypochilium slightly auricled. Column narrowly cylindric, slightly curved, 3 by 1.2 mm, clinandrium toothed at base of stelidia. Stelidia subulate, sigmoid, 2 mm long. Anther oblong-cucullate, 1.2 by 0.6 by 0.2 mm, connective thickened, finely papillate along connective only. Pollinia 2, yellowish, unequal lobed, oblong-obovoid, 0.5 mm long. Column-foot slender, curved forward, transversely crested at tip. Capsule not seen. (After van Royen, 1979)

Colours: Flower pale creamy white with purple stripes on sepals and dots on lip.

Habitat: Epiphyte.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea; see map 534-33M.jpg.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte, requires light position.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)