Phreatia valida Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 193
Type: Schlechter 13975 (holo B, lost)
Epiphytic, erect, stout, stemless, c. 40 cm high; roots very numerous, filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Leaves distichous, linear-ligulate, apex unequally bilobulate, glabrous, subcoriaceous, keeled below, erect-patent, to 40 cm long, 2.2-2.6 cm wide; leaf-sheaths clasping, duplicate, 8-12 cm long. Inflorescence erect, c. 40 cm high, with acuminate, distant peduncle-scales; rachis spike-like, densely many-flowered, cylindrical, c. 15 cm long, c. 0.7 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts lanceolate, sharply acuminate, almost as long as the flowers. Flowers erect-patent, not resupinate. Median sepal ovate, acute, glabrous, almost 0.2 cm long. Lateral sepals 0.2 cm long, glabrous, shortly acuminate, strongly dilated along the front margins, 0.25 cm wide. Petals obliquely oblong, obtuse, a little shorter than the median sepal. Lip at the base narrowly cuneate, oblong, obtuse, apex subretuse, c. 0.25 cm long. Column very short, foot much elongated; clinandrium dorsally extended into an erect, oblong, obtuse lobe clearly surpassing the rostellum; rostellum very short, bidentate. Anther subcordate, in front obtuse. Ovary very shortly pedicellate, clavate, glabrous, c. 0.25 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1905)
Colours: Flower pure white.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest; 1200 to 3000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, May, June, August, October, December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 549-275M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.