Trichotosia hypophaea (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26 (1971) 179
Basionym: Eria hypophaea
Epiphytic, pendent, stout, to 1 m long. Stems unbranched, fascicled, terete, 0.5-0.6 cm diam., leafy, entirely covered with the finely tomentose, eventually almost glabrous leaf-sheaths. Leaves obliquely lanceolate-ligulate, 13-18 cm long, below the middle 1.8-2.3 cm wide, obliquely and subobtusely acuminate, with slightly recurved margins, glabrous above, very shortly fine tomentose below, coriaceous. Inflorescences shortly pedunculate, 8-10 cm long, rather densely 10-15-flowered, almost as long as the leaves, very densely pilose, subvillose. Flowers outside densely pilose. Sepals oblong, 1.2 cm long, subobtuse. Lateral sepals at the base along the front margin dilated; mentum oblongoid, 0.6 cm long, obtuse. Petals narrowly and obliquely ligulate, 1.1 cm long, obtuse, towards the base somewhat narrowed, sparsely pilose-setose, almost as long as the sepals. Lip at the base slightly dilated, somewhat concave, narrowly cuneate, 1.6 cm long, when flattened in apical third 0.4 cm wide, in apical fourth 3-lobed; keels 2, papillose-puberulous, disappearing near the base, decurrent to below the base of the mid-lobe, almost parallel, between these with an indistinct small keel in the apical half of the lip; lateral lobes obtuse, very small, short; mid-lobe square, 0.4 by 0.4 cm, slightly emarginate, obtusely apiculate, margins slightly undulate, sparsely setose ciliate, lip inside sparsely papillose. Column 0.6 cm long; lateral lobes of the clinandrium obtuse. Ovary cylindrical-obconical, c. 0.5 cm long, very densely setose-pilose. (After Schlechter, 1923)
Colours: Hairs brown. Flowers greenish.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 700 m.
Flowering time in the wild: August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 704-46M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.