Trichotosia katherinae (A.D.Hawkes) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26 (1971) 180
Basionym: Eria katherinae
Epiphytic, pendent, long-stemmed, to 1.5 m long. Rhizome very short. Stems fascicled, simple, 1 cm diam., many-leaved, terete, entirely covered with the puberulous leaf-sheaths. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-ligulate, 22 cm long, near the middle 3.2 cm wide, obliquely subacute, glabrous above, almost glabrous below, becoming minutely papillose. Inflorescences pendent, 8-12 cm long, very shortly pedunculate, rather laxly 10-18-flowered, very densely hirsute. Floral bracts oblong, recurved, usually smaller than the flowers. Sepals oblong-elliptic, 1.1 cm long, obtusely apiculate. Lateral sepals at the base along the front margin strongly dilated; mentum oblong, 0.6 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely ligulate, 0.95 cm long, obtuse, towards the base somewhat narrowed, along the margins and outside sparsely hirsute, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base somewhat concave, cuneate, 1.1 cm, long, above the base 0.25 cm long, between the lateral lobes 0.35 cm wide, in apical third 3-lobed; lateral lobes very small, short, triangular-ovate, in front truncate; mid-lobe very broadly reniform, 0.3 by 0.65 cm, apex emarginate with an obtuse apicule, outside towards the margins setose-pilose, inside especially at the base in the centre densely papillose; in the middle of the lip with a short, papillose, obtuse keel, with two similar, shorter keels on the mid-lobe. Column short, lateral lobes of the clinandrium rounded; foot narrower. Ovary sessile, obconical, 0.5 cm long, very densely hirsute, short. (After Schlechter, 1923)
Colours: Hairs rust-brown. Flowers yellow with red-brown stripes, lip yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: November.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 704-52M.JPG.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.