Orchid Information - Genus Bulbophyllum section Monosepalum

Bulbophyllum section Monosepalum (Schltr.) J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 12 (1916) 374. Type species: Bulbophyllum muricatum J.J.Sm.

Synonyms:

• Genus Monosepalum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 895

Medium-sized epiphytes or terrestrials. Rhizomes creeping or straggling; rhizome bracts 5—7 per shoot, thin, surface approx. glabrous, rather persistent. Roots sprouting mainly below the pseudobulbs, spreading, glabrous. Pseudobulbs (in-)conspicuous compared to the size of the plant, 1-leafed, with the shoots sprouting from, or slightly above their basal node, or from the sub-basal node, and free, not fused to the pseudobulb. Leaves persistent, thick, veins inconspicuous to distinct. Inflorescences sprouting from nodes along the length of the rhizome; single, 1-flowered. Peduncle longer than the leaves, bracts 2—4, scattered with the upper well above half-way the peduncle. Flowers pendulous; floral bracts tubular; pedicel with the basal node well above the attachment of the floral bract, longer than the ovary. Sepals: the median adherent to the laterals for most of their length, all of equal length, 4.6—8.5 cm long, elliptic to ovate-triangular, acute, margins entire, glabrous; rather thin, 5-veined, adaxial surface glabrous to papillose-verruculate, abaxial surface glabrous to coarsely verruculate proximally. Petals 0.2—0.5 mm long excluding appendages, (transversely) elliptic to dolabriform, truncate to broadly rounded and with 3 appendages, margins entire or lobed, glabrous; thin, 3-veined, surface glabrous or adaxially with a papillose patch in the centre; appendages differing in texture from the petal itself, not of equal shape, papillose. Lip mobile on a thin ligament, without auricles, undivided, 0.35—0.45 cm long, ovate to oblong, margins entire, papillose(-ciliate), surface partly papillose or hirsute; adaxially concave near the base, with 2 approx. parallel, distinct, rounded ridges running almost over the entire length of the lip. Column with rostellum front receding in between the stelidia; stigma narrow, slit-like, without keels inside, at the base protruding or not; column foot more or less widening and thickening towards the tip; free part long, with a median tooth just short of the ligament; stelidia slightly shorter than the column length, distinct, narrowly triangular to subulate, with or without a somewhat erose upper margin, without tooth along the lower margin; anther in front with a rounded crest, front margin distinctly drawn out, turned backwards, inflated and concave; pollinia 4, with the inner almost as long as the outer, without appendages

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