Phreatia rupestris

Phreatia rupestris J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 2 (1911) 19

Type: Kock, de 57 (holo BO, probably spirit material only)

Terrestrial. Stems elongated, rooting in the basal part, leafy, 1.5-5 cm long, internodes 0.15-0.75 cm long. Leaves erect-patent, recurved, lanceolate, shortly and unequally bilobulate, with a smaller mucro between the lobules, narrowed at the base and weakly conduplicate, on either side of the mid-vein convex above, coriaceous, 1.5-2 by 0.28-0.48 cm; leaf-sheaths much longer than the internodes, tubular, near the apex opposite the leaf-blade split open, with broad membranous and undulate margins. Inflorescences axillary, erect, elongated, laxly many-flowered, secund, glabrous; peduncle at base hidden by the leaf-sheath, laterally flattened, 5.5-6.5 cm long, 0.15-0.16 cm diam.; peduncle-scales small, c. 6, tubular, laterally flattened, keeled, to 0.7 cm long; rachis ribbed, to 6.5 cm long. Floral bracts patent, appressed to the ovary, ovate-triangular, acute, concave, 1-nerved, to 0.4 cm long, 0.18 cm wide. Flowers very small, 0.33 cm long. Median sepal recurved, oblong-triangular, obtuse, slightly apiculate, convex, 1-nerved, 0.17 by 0.13 cm. Lateral sepals porrect, slightly divergent, somewhat obliquely ovate, obtuse, concave, obtusely keeled, 1-nerved, 0.23 by 0.14 cm; mentum very short, pointing backwards, rounded, 0.04 cm long. Petals parallel, obliquely angular-ovate, obtuse, apiculate, concave, 1-nerved, 0.17 by 0.1 cm. Lip porrect, shortly clawed, strongly laterally flattened-concave, 3-nerved, in the basal part with two calli, when flattened 0.2 cm long, claw concave 0.04 cm long, blade broadly 5-angular-semiorbicular, with the basal corners obliquely truncate, glabrous, 0.2 cm wide, apex broadly obtuse, shortly apiculate. Column short, dorsally convex, 0.08 cm long; clinandrium strongly concave; rostellum bipartite, teeth short, narrowly subulate; stigma transverse; column-foot appressed to the ovary, very short, 0.03 cm long. Anther cucullate, cordate-triangular, obtuse, 0.05 cm wide. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.25 cm long including the more slender, 0.08 cm long pedicel, twisted. (After Smith, 1913)

Colours: Floral bracts brown. Flowers white.

Habitat: Terrestrial in subalpine grassland; 3000 m.

Flowering time in the wild: March.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 549-221M.JPG.

Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial, requires light position.

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