Thrixspermum amplexicaule (Blume) Rchb.f., Xenia Orchid. 2 (1868) 121
Basionym: Dendrocolla amplexicaulis
Terrestrial, erect, c. 50 cm tall. Roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems unbranched, erect or ascending, flexuose, rooting, up to 50 cm long, terete, laxly leafy, c. 0.9 cm diam. Leaves erect-patent, ovate or oblong-ovate, very shortly bilobulate, at the base amplexicaul, fleshy-coriaceous, 4-5 cm long, below the middle 1.7-2.5 cm wide. Inflorescences arising near the middle of the stem, suberect, usually overtopping the stem; peduncle slender, to 25 cm long, terete, with a few distant peduncle-scales. Inflorescence distichous, gradually elongating, to 13 cm long. Floral bracts equitant, deltoid-oblong, obtuse, falcate, about 3 times shorter than the pedicellate ovary. Flowers erect-patent. Sepals oblong, obtuse, 1.4 cm long, glabrous. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals obliquely elliptic-oblong, obtuse, a little smaller than the sepals. Lip cucullate-saccate, above the middle 3-lobed, c. 1 cm long, when flattened in outline elliptic, inside at the base with 3 papillose lines, in the middle with a semioblong-ligulate, obtuse, very small callus; lateral lobes falcate-oblong, obtuse; mid-lobe fleshy, oblong-ligulate, obtuse, the lateral lobes surpassing for half their length. Column short, rather thick; foot ligulate, c. 0.6 cm long. Ovary slender, glabrous, c. 1 cm long. Fruit cylindrical, slender, up to 5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1919)
Colours: Flower pale lilac.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland grassland; 0 to 600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: July, September, November.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines, Bangka), Thailand, ?Laos, Vietnam, Andaman Islands, Solomon Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 690-13M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires light position.