Ridleyella paniculata

Ridleyella paniculata (Ridl.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 949

Basionym: Bulbophyllum paniculatum

Pseudobulbs c. 2.5 cm long, arranged in a row, closely spaced, oblongoid, at the base covered with fibres, 2-leaved. Leaves linear, c. 9-20 by 0.6-1.5 cm, broadly obtuse, unequally bilobulate, keeled. Inflorescence slender, c. 16-28 cm high, branching, branches widely spaced; peduncle at the base covered with c. 1 cm long scales that are somewhat inflated and split towards the base. Floral bracts small, triangular-subulate. Flowers minute, c. 0.5 cm diam. Median sepals ovate, 0.2 by 0.23 cm, obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 0.28 by 0.2 cm, obtuse. Petals very obliquely ovate, 0.25 by 0.24 cm, obtuse, margins slightly erose. Lip clawed, spathulate, when flattened c. 0.3 by 0.3 cm; claw erect, curved, narrow, channelled, at the base with a transverse swelling, with swollen mid-rib; blade dilated, rectangularly recurved, subreniform, obtusely cuspidate, margins minutely crenulate-erose. Column thick almost straight, c. 0.12 cm long, at the apex broadly truncate, apical wings slightly extended, quadrangular, truncate-obtuse, finely erose; column-foot very short, broad, truncate; stigma deeply concave, triangular to rounded quadrangular, with raised lower margin; clinandrium shallow, with raised margins; rostellum broad, slightly notched, very short. Anther flattened, very broad, incompletely 4-locular; pollinia ovate, unequal. Pedicel with ovary 0.6 cm long, ovary globose, 0.2 cm long. (after Ridley, 1886 and Smith, 1916)

Colours: Flowers violet to dark maroon.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland and montane forest; 0 to 1800 m.

Flowering time in the wild: January, March, April, June, July, September, October.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 613-1M.JPG.

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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