Taeniophyllum recurvirostrum

Taeniophyllum recurvirostrum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 504, pl. 86, fig. 143

Type: Thomson s.n. (22-VIII-1914, no locality) (holo BO)

Stem short, rooting; roots somewhat flattened, in cross-section subelliptic, 12.5 cm long, 0.13 cm wide. Inflorescences densely few-flowered; peduncle filiform, 2.5 cm long, with c. 2 tubular peduncle-scales; rachis thickened, to 0.2 cm or more long, across the floral bracts 0.15 cm wide, internodes very short, almost 0.05 cm long. Floral bracts patent, clasping the rachis, broadly triangular, obtuse, concave, somewhat fleshy, 0.08 cm long. Flowers rather small, 0.75 cm long. Sepals and petals parallel. Median sepal narrowly oblong, obtuse, slightly concave, 3-nerved, 0.33 cm long, slightly more than 0.1 cm wide. Lateral sepals obliquely narrowly oblong, at the apex shortly slightly falcate, obtuse, slightly concave, dorsally, except along the mid-rib, thickened, especially towards apex, 3-nerved, 0.33 cm long, slightly more than 0.1 cm wide. Petals oblong, obtuse, concave, dorsally thickened in the middle, 3-nerved, 0.3 by 0.15 cm. Lip spurred, blade conduplicate-concave, in the middle longitudinally thickened, in the basal 3/5 with a narrow longitudinal cavity covered in front with a horizontal, notched membrane; blade when flattened in outline suborbicular-rhombic, 0.3 by 0.28 cm, on either side rounded-obtuse, 5-nerved, the outer nerves 3-partite, at the apex with a triangular, subobtuse, concave, 0.08 cm long, 0.1 cm wide lobule; spur pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, clavate, almost straight, at the base slightly laterally flattened, in the apical half especially underneath slightly rounded-inflated, at the apex slightly recurved and obtuse, 0.4 cm long. Column very short, thick, including the anther almost 0.1 cm long, concave-3-lobed; clinandrium concave, transversely elliptic; stigma lobes longitudinal, oblong, in the basal part merging to make a V-shape; rostellum hammer-shaped, the frontal part bipartite with oblong segments, obtuse, concave, slightly surpassing the column, dorsal part oblong, obtuse, concave below, shorter than the frontal part. Anther cucullate, when not flattened 0.14 cm long, 0.05 cm wide, almost semiglobose; beak very long, linear, near the middle obtusely recurved, channelled below, towards the apex somewhat dilated and slightly bidentate; pollinia about obovoid-elliptic, outside convex, inside somewhat flattened; stipe spathulate, at the apex slightly recurved, in the basal part very thin, above the base obtusely curved; viscidium very long linear-lanceolate, on either side sharply acute; pollinarium 0.16 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, furfuraceous, 0.28 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)

Colours: Not recorded.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.

Flowering time in the wild: August.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia), locality unknown.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.

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