Poaephyllum tenuipes

Poaephyllum tenuipes (Schltr.) Rolfe, Orchid Rev. 20 (1912) 300

Basionym: Lectandra tenuipes

Epiphytic, up to 60 cm long, with several pendent stems. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous. Stems unbranched, straight or more or less flexuose, somewhat flattened, densely leafy, entirely covered with the tightly clasping leaf-sheaths. Leaves erect-patent, linear, pointed, 2.5-4 cm long, near the middle 0.25-0.35 cm wide, at the apex unequally bidentate with a very small mucro. Inflorescence very slender, gradually elongating, flexuose, patent, up to 9 cm long; peduncle and rachis filiform. Floral bracts minute, scale-like, ovate, much shorter than the ovary. Flowers opening in succession, c. 0.3-0.4 cm apart. Sepals oblong, acute, 0.4 cm long, glabrous. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base along the front margin somewhat expanded; mentum short, obtuse. Petals obliquely linear-ligulate, obtuse, glabrous, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline oblong-ligulate, 0.4 cm long, above the base 0.2 cm wide, towards the apex a little narrower, subobtuse, in basal half concave, in apical half with two marginal folds on either side, weakly 3-lobed, in the basal third with an oblong, backwards pointing, minutely puberulous callus, just below the apex with a minute elliptic callus. Column semiterete, at the apex somewhat dilated, in front minutely puberulous. Anther almost square-cucullate, in front truncate; pollinia 8, obliquely clavate, unequal; viscidium fairly large, quadrangular. Ovary subsessile, slender, glabrous, 0.35 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flowers white, lip with pink spots.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest, also on cliffs; 350 to 450 m.

Flowering time in the wild: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 565-9M.JPG.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.

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