Phreatia renilabris

Phreatia renilabris J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 491, pl. 82, fig. 132

Type: Lam 1953 (holo BO)

Rhizome creeping, terete, initially covered with sheaths. Pseudobulbs closely spaced, to 0.25-0.55 cm apart, depressed-globose, longitudinally grooved, 0.2-0.25 cm high, 0.25-0.3 cm diam., 2-leaved. Leaves erect, lanceolate, unequally bidentate with a longer conical mucro between the teeth, at the base gradually narrowed and conduplicate, channelled above with the sides convex, somewhat fleshy, 1.25-3.1 cm long, 0.23-0.5 cm wide; leaf-sheath resembling a petiole, 0.7 cm long. Inflorescences arising at the base of the pseudobulbs, rather densely many-flowered; peduncle thin, 7.5-10 cm long, with c. 4-6 tubular, acute peduncle-scales; rachis strongly c. 4-ribbed, furfuraceous, 2.53-5 cm long. Floral bracts at the base dilated, acuminate, with somewhat irregular margins, to 0.35 cm long, the upper ones smaller. Flowers turned to all sides, 0.34 cm long. Median sepal reflexed, oblong-ovate-triangular, subacute, apiculate, convex, 1-nerved, 0.23 cm long, slightly more than 0.1 cm wide. Lateral sepals obliquely porrect, divergent, making an acute angle, obliquely ovate-triangular, subacute, at the base in front concave, 1-nerved, 0.23 cm long, along the front margin 0.28 cm long, 0.18 cm wide; mentum short, pointing backwards, broad, obtusely angular, in front widely opening. Petals divergent, parallel to the sepals, obliquely oblong, at the base cuneate, above the base slightly obtusely dilated, towards the apex slightly narrowed, obtuse, somewhat falcate, 1-nerved, 0.18 cm long, above the base 0.08 cm wide. Lip making a right angle with the column-foot, porrect, distinctly surpassing the column, 0.18 cm long, at the apex slightly recurved, concave with the sides divergent, convex, and undulate, glabrous, 3-nerved, the outer nerves conspicuously thickened on the claw; claw when flattened about equilaterally trapezium-shaped, on either side rounded, separated by falcate-triangular sinuses from the blade, 0.05 by 0.08 cm; blade broad, angular-reniform, with the basal lobules obtuse, at the apex broadly retuse, broadly bilobulate, with minutely crenulate margins, 0.13 cm long, including the basal lobules 0.15 cm long, slightly more than 0.2 cm wide. Column short, thick, dorsally strongly convex with a longitudinal groove, 0.1 cm long; clinandrium obliquely truncate, deeply cucullate, dorsal margin obtusely apiculate; rostellum continuing the front side of the column, subulate-bidentate; stigma transversely slit-like; column-foot at the base pointing backwards, at 2/5 above the base obtusely incurved and free from the lateral sepals, broadly linear, 0.08 cm long. Anther cucullate, cordate-5-angular, almost 5-lobulate, 0.05 cm wide, at the apex obtuse, basal lobules conspicuous, rounded, retuse. Ovary 6-ribbed-angular, sparsely furfuraceous, 0.2 cm long, together with the pedicel clavate; pedicel thinner, angular, almost glabrous, 0.17 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)

Colours: Pseudobulbs light green. Leaves rather dark green and shining above, light green below. Flower white, at the base of lip greenish white; ovary light green or greenish white, pedicel white.

Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 2550 m.

Flowering time in the wild: November.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 549-212M.JPG.

Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.

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