Pomatocalpa macphersonii (F.Muell.) P.F.Hunt, Queensland Naturalist 16 (1958) 27
Basionym: Saccolabium macphersonii
Stem short. Leaves few, widely patent, ligulate, subfalcate-oblique, half-twisted at the base, at the apex broadly obtuse, rounded-bilobed, undulate, mid-rib grooved above, keeled below, above on either side of mid-rib convex, 11 cm long, 2.35 cm wide; sheaths tubular, strongly laterally flattened, short. Inflorescences pointing downwards, unbranched, c. 11-flowered, c. 3.4 cm long (or more); peduncle 1.2 cm long with a few very small scales; rachis angular. Floral bracts appressed, very small, triangular, much shorter than the ovary. Flowers rather small, 0.83 cm wide. Sepals and petals incurved, fleshy. Median sepal almost spathulate-oblong, broadly obtuse, 0.45 by 0.24 cm. Lateral sepals oblique obovate, at the base slightly contracted, broadly obtuse, 0.43 by 0.27 cm. Petals spathulate-oblong, slightly falcate, broadly obtuse, 0.4 by 0.16 cm. Lip adnate to the column-foot, spurred, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, about as long as the column, with the upper margin making an acute angle with the column, front margins incurved, at the base connected through a cushion-like swelling, at the apex rectangular; mid-lobe recurved, subreniform-semiorbicular, broadly obtuse, fleshy, with a cushion-like swelling at the base and a longitudinal basal groove, 0.15 by 0.28 cm; spur rather large, making a straight angle with the ovary, slightly obovoid, rounded, dorsally slightly flattened, to the apex of the ovary 0.4 cm long, 0.23 cm wide, dorsal wall inside with an erect, triangular, truncate, 3-crenulate, glabrous lamella. Column short, 0.23 cm long; rostellum recurved; stigma deeply concave, transversely elliptic. Anther cucullate, shortly and obtuse rostrate, 0.13 cm wide; pollinia 4, unequal, arranged into two obliquely elliptic-triangular masses; stipe linear; viscidium oblong, the whole pollinarium 0.13 cm long. Ovary straight, 6-grooved, 0.37 cm long. (After Smith, 1913)
Colours: Leaves green. Sepals and petals yellow, spotted purple on both sides; lip with white lateral lobes, mid-lobe pale yellowish, spur pale yellowish with brown spots and dots; column pale yellow, at the base with a brown ring; anther pale yellow, pollinia yellow. Ovary green.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland and lower montane forest, also on isolated trees; 0 to 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, May, June, July, August, September, November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Australia, Solomon Islands, Fiji.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 574-34M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.