Thrixspermum congestum (F.M.Bailey) Dockrill, Australasian Sarcanthinae (1967) 27
Basionym: Cleisostoma congestum
Epiphyte, erect or ascending; roots filiform, glabrous. Stem terete, rather rigid, many-leaved, to 20 cm long, 0.3 cm diam., covered with the striate leaf-sheaths. Leaves ligulate, obliquely and obtusely bilobulate, 5-7 cm long, near the middle 7-1.2 cm wide. Inflorescence with a long peduncle, erect-patent, densely several-flowered; peduncle 14-22 cm long. Floral bracts lanceolate-subulate, much shorter than the ovary. Ovary glabrous, 0.5 cm long. Flowers erect-patent, opening in succession. Sepals oblong-ligulate, apiculate, glabrous, 0.6-0.7 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals ligulate, acute, almost as long as the sepals. Lip cucullate-concave, at the base shortly saccate, semiorbicular, at the apex 3-lobed, 0.6-0.7 cm long, when flattened between the tips of the lateral lobes 1 cm wide; inside with a short, bilobulate, tongue-like callus; the whole lip, except for the central part, densely covered with patent glandular hairs, especially along the margins; lateral lobes obliquely oblong, obtuse; mid-lobe short, about as long as the lateral lobes. Column short, glabrous. Anther reniform-cucullate, glabrous; pollinia obliquely pear-shaped; stipe very short; viscidium rounded. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914, as Thrixspermum adenotrichum Schltr.)
Colours: Flower [creamy] white, on the lip with brown dots.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest, also on garden trees; 10 to 450 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February, August, December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 690-61M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, requires light position.