Trichotosia brachiata (J.J.Sm.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26 (1971) 179
Basionym: Eria brachiata
Stems elongated, stout, terete, densely appressed pilose, internodes 3.7-4.3 cm long. Leaves almost patent, sessile, at the base half-twisted, obliquely lanceolate, at the apex strongly obliquely narrowed, narrowly obtuse, above convex with a small longitudinal channel, with the mid-rib underneath prominent, young leaves on both sides densely appressed pilose, later glabrous above, somewhat fleshy-coriaceous, 15 by 3.5 cm (in spirit); sheaths tubular, cylindrical, densely pilose, at the apex long ciliate, about as long as the internodes, 0.8 cm diam. Inflorescences perforating the leaf-sheath near its base, densely 15- to 19-flowered, long and densely villose, with the hairs patent, 6.5-10 cm long; peduncle short, 1.6-2 cm long; peduncle-scales 2-3, short, broadly tubular-cucullate, obliquely truncate, densely patent-villose, to 1 cm long; rachis slightly zigzag. Floral bracts rather large, persistent, reflexed, strongly cucullate-concave, orbicular-ovate, slightly acuminate, obtusely apiculate, dorsally patent-villose, inside glabrous, fleshy, to 1.35 cm long and almost as wide, the upper ones smaller. Flowers 1.4 cm wide, 2.1 cm long. Sepals divergent, dorsally long patent-villose. Median sepal almost horizontal, lanceolate, obtuse, concave, 1.5 by 0.43 cm. Lateral sepals with an obliquely suborbicular, concave, at the base slightly constricted lobe decurrent on the column-foot, obliquely oblong, subfalcate, obtuse, concave, 1.25 cm long, at the base 0.88 cm wide, above the base 0.57 cm wide; mentum pointing backwards, making an acute angle with the ovary, incurved, shortly saccate, obtuse, slightly laterally flattened, 0.57 cm long. Petals almost linear, slightly sigmoid, concave, at the apex recurved and convex, obtuse, long ciliate, 3-nerved, 1.3-1.38 by 0.2 cm. Lip attached near the apex of the column-foot, clawed, 3-lobed, 3-nerved, curved, with two short, rather stout, parallel, glabrous keels extending from the middle of the lip to the base of the mid-lobe, on the mid-lobe with a third, distally interrupted, pilose keel that does not reach the apex of the mid-lobe; claw in the basal part parallel to the column-foot, strongly hooked-recurved, concave, in the basal part linear-oblong, above cuneate-dilated, 0.8 cm long; lip across the basal part of the lateral lobes 0.53 cm wide; lateral lobes erect, slightly falcate-porrect, at the apex incurved, along the basal part of the front margin recurved, obliquely sublinear, obtuse, front margins at the base long ciliate, above with a few hairs, to the base mid-lobe 0.7-0.75 cm long, 0.15 cm wide; mid-lobe slightly recurved, convex, with a transversely quadrangular, sparsely long ciliate, in the middle strongly cuneate-dilated claw, at the apex subtruncate, 2-lobulate, with the lobules obliquely quadrangular, somewhat irregularly flexuose, convex, with a rather large triangular, acute, strongly hooked-recurved tooth in the sinus, 0.6 cm long, at the base 0.38 cm wide, at the apex 0.66 cm wide. Column slender, slightly curved, dorsally flattened, dorsally obtusely convex and sparsely appressed pubescent, on either side of the stigma dilated, below the stigma papillose-puberulous, 0.7 cm long; clinandrium deeply concave, somewhat rounded-triangular, inside with a small longitudinal rib; filament triangular; auricles broad, the lower margins with a short tooth; rostellum recurved; stigma almost 5-angled; column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, making an obtuse angle with the column, at the apex strongly hooked-incurved and with a short free tip, truncate, with the apical margins slightly callus-like swollen, inside papillose-puberulous, when not flattened 0.57 cm long. Anther cucullate, 0.18 cm wide, keeled, at the apex 3-lobulate, with the lateral lobules in front subacute, the median lobule a little shorter and obtuse, at the base 4-lobulate; pollinia unequal, flattened, outside convex, inside flat, four pollinia obliquely cuneate, four obliquely subelliptic. Ovary short, obliquely obconical, long patent-villose, 0.6 cm long. (After Smith, 1916)
Colours: Hairs red-brown. Flower yellow with red stripes.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: June, July.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 704-9M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.