Pholidota carnea (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 37
Basionym: Crinonia carnea
Plant 15-45 cm long. Roots to more than 40 cm by 1.5-2 mm. Rhizome portion between two pseudobulbs 0.5-5 cm. Rhizome scales 4-5(-7), shortest one 5-9 mm long, longest one 2-5 cm long, (stiff) herbaceous, margins membranous, nerves 20-35(-42). Pseudobulb scales 2, narrowly triangular, 2-5.5 cm long; soon dry but long persistent and clasping the rhizome scales, the pseudobulbs and the new shoot; herbaceous, margins membranous, nerves 20-45. Pseudobulbs ascending to more or less parallel to the rhizome, sometimes patent, usually very slender, 1.5-6 cm long, when dry with longitudinal coarse folds and usually fine cross-wrinkles. Petiole 5-15(-20) by 1-2.5 mm. Leaf blade ovate to linear, (3-)5-30 by 0.6-2(-2.5) cm; top acute to acuminate; herbaceous to stiff coriaceous; main nerves 3-7, somewhat prominent below, small nerves (14-)25-55(-64), rather inconspicuous. Raceme proteranthous, to synanthous with the just emerged to sometimes almost entirely developed young leaves, 17-40- flowered. Scape short, 0.5-4(-5.5) cm beyond the scales, in fruit elongating to 3-9(-13) cm. Rachis flexible, curved, sometimes more or less zigzag, (3-)4-15 cm long; internodes (1.5-)2-5 mm long. Sterile bracts rarely present, at most one, either like the floral bracts or with the consistency of a leaf Floral bracts ovate to ovate-oblong, caducous at anthesis, 5-I0 by 3.5-5.5 mm; top acute to obtuse; pergamentaceous to membranous, inside at the base sometimes with some scattered, minute hairs; nerves 7-9. Pedicel 0.5-1.5(-2.3) b) c. 0.3-0.6 mm. Ovary 1-6 by 0.5-1.3 mm. Median sepal more or less elliptic, ovate. to ovate-oblong, 1.8-4.2 by 1.2-2.5 mm; top retuse to acuminate. Lateral sepals ovate to ovate-oblong, 2.2-4.5 by 1.2-2.5 mm; top retuse to acuminate; midrib usually somewhat wing-like to the top. Petals more or less elliptic, obovate to ovate (to ovate- oblong), rarely almost orbicular, 1.3-3.7 by 0.8-2 mm; top retuse to acuminate; nerve' (l-)3. Lip 2.2-4 mm long. Hypochile 0.7-2.2 mm long, 0.5-1.8(-2) mm wide. 0.3-0.7 mm high; lateral lobes (broadly) triangular, 0.4-0.8 by 0.4-K-1.5) mm, with a rounded top, on the junction with the epichilium gradually to rather abruptly lowering; nerves 3-5, rarely slightly swollen into faint keels. Epichile more or less recurved, irregularly semi-orbicular to rhomboid when flattened, 0.7-2(-2.3) by 1-2.2 mm. top obtuse to acute. Column 0.4-2.3 mm long; column-foot 0.2-0.8 mm long; hood short, its top margin entire or irregularly serrate, its central part more or less shortly band-like and much shorter than the anther; lateral lobes either absent or narrowly triangular to triangular with more or less acute top, 0.3-0.7 by 0.2-0.6 mm. Anther in outline about irregularly orbicular to cordate, 0.5-1.3 by 0.5-1.3 mm; top truncate. Pollinia 0.3-0.6 by 0.2-0.3 mm. Stigma 0.5-1.2 by 0.5-1 mm. Fruit body ellipsoid, 4.5-7.5 by 2.5-4 mm. (After de Vogel, 1988)
Colours: Flowers usually salmon-coloured to pinkish, sometimes tinged brownish, less frequently greenish, white or cream-coloured. Lip sometimes differently coloured, sometimes with yellow or orange spots.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 1100 to 2700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, February, March, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea, Philippines).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 547-23M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate to cool growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.