Plocoglottis confertiflora J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 5 (1907) 34
Type: Anonymus s.n. (New Guinea, Kamboe Sinai merah) (holo BO; iso L, probable, s.n., 1906, no loc.)
Rhizome thick. Pseudobulb erect, 4 by 0.75 cm, angular-subcylindrical, tapering toward apex, 1-leaved. Leaf petiolate; petiole 4.3 cm long, channelled, blade 21 by 8.5 cm, elliptic-oblong, keeled underneath, undulate, with 7 prominent veins on abaxial side, with many smaller veins, thin-textured, apex acute-acuminate. Inflorescence laterally from base of pseudobulb, erect, 11-17(-40)-flowered; peduncle 15.5 (-27) by 0.2 (-0.3) cm, pubescent; peduncle scales 4, tubular at base, up to 1.75 cm long; rachis (3-) 5.8-26 by 0.1-0.2 cm, densely pubescent, internodes 17 to 39, up to 4.1 cm long. Bracts 0.61 by 0.3 cm, triangular, patent acute, pubescent, sterile bracts none to 6. Flowers up to 1.7 cm wide, opening in succession, not resupinated. Median sepal 0.9-1.5 by 0.3-0.47 cm, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, strongly concave, apex subacute, sparsely pubescent, thick-textured, with 5-7 distinct veins. Lateral sepals 0.68-1.2 by 0.38-0.6 cm, lanceolate, concave, falcate, pubescent, with 6-8 distinct veins, base broadly cuneate, with short spur, apex subacute to acute. Petals 0.73-1.35 by 0.18-0.27 cm, linear, slightly falcate, glabrous, thick-textured, with 3 distinct veins, base broadly cuneate, apex subacute to acute. Lip 0.55-0.7 by 0.5-0.65 cm, adnate to column at base, almost quadrangular, with 9 distinct veins, at base with a small sac formed by column-foot and lip base 0.06-0.1 cm long; blade with two flat, thin basal lamellae, with a long groove along the median of adaxial side; with two 0.22 cm long, swollen keels on the adaxial side; lateral margins thin, slightly serrulate, apex subtruncate or almost round, in the middle with a 0.1cm long, triangular, acute acumen, glabrous. Column 0.6-0.63 by 0.18-0.2 cm, clavate, with thin wing-like lateral margins, sparsely pubescent dorsally. Anther 0.2 by 0.1 cm, ovate in outline, long keel, apical margin entire, apex obtuse, glabrous. Stigma obovate, rostellum elliptic. Pedicel with ovary 0.6-0.9 by 0.05-0.1 cm, clavate or cylindrical, densely pubescent. (After Eang Hourt, unpublished manuscript 2004)
Colours: Pseudobulbs dull dark green. Leaves rather shiny dark green above, pale bluish green and opaque below. Peduncle dull green, vaguely green-marbled. Bracts pale yellow-green, with 5 lines of dull violet dots. Sepals and petals yellow spotted purple, shiny outside. Lip yellow, at base white, purple-spotted. Column yellow at base and in front below the stigma with red spots. Ovary green.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest on rich alluvial soil; 250 m.
Flowering time in the wild: September, October, November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 564-9M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.