Trichotosia rufa

Trichotosia rufa (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 24 (1970) 92

Basionym: Eria rufa

Epiphytic, patent, up to 130 cm high. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems unbranched, terete, leafy, 0.50.6 cm diam., with the leaf-sheaths closely appressed, villose, entirely covering the stem. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-ligulate, narrowly obtusely acuminate, on both sides softly and shortly villose, 8cm long, near the middle 1.3-2.5 cm wide. Inflorescence densely villose, laxly 4flowered, about half as long as the leaves, with very short peduncle. Floral bracts suborbicular, obtuse, about as long as the flowers. Flowers outside densely villose. Sepals oblong, narrowly obtuse, 1.3 cm long. Lateral sepals falcateat the base along the anterior margin lobed-dilated; mentum oblongoid, obtuse, incurved, c. 0.6 cm long. Petals obliquely linearligulate, obtuse, somewhat narrowed towards the base, sparsely pilose and ciliate, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip at the base cuneate, 3-lobed in apical third, 1.4 cm long, near the middle 0.8 cm wide, in basal half with two obliquely oblanceolate calli, in front of these with a short, minutely puberulous median keel extending from the middle to the base of the mid-lobe and terminating with a small obtuse apical swelling; lateral lobes very small, falcatetriangular, subacute; mid-lobe much larger, almost square, broadly obtuse. Column short, dorsally sparsely puberulous, column-foot weakly incurved; clinandrium with rounded lateral lobes, dorsal lobe obtuse, somewhat longer. Anther roundedcucullate, obtuse, with a reniform umbo, glabrous. Ovary densely villose, sessile, 0.7 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Hairs red-brown. Flowers light yellow.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 800 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September.

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 704-93M.JPG.

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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