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Bulbophyllum cophocropion
Bulbophyllum cophocropion J.J. Verm. & Schuit., OrchideenJournal 9, 1 (2021), 3
Type: De Vogel et al. s.n. (leg. W.K. Harris 1735), L alc. 22768 (holotype L)
Synonyms:
Creeping or straggling, medium-sized epiphyte with spreading roots which sprout mainly below the pseudobulbs. Rhizome 1.8 – 3.0 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs 1.8 – 3.5 cm long, rhizome scales persistent. Pseudobulbs distinct, (obliquely) erect, ovoid(-conical), 1.1 – 2.3 × 0.8 – 1.3 cm, distinctly but obtusely 4-angled with somewhat concave sides. Leaf: Petiole 1.3 – 5.0 cm long; blade elliptic, 7.3 – 41 × 0.8 – 1.8 cm, ratio length/width 8.0 – 45; acute. Inflorescence 10 – 15 cm long, 1-flowered. Peduncle 3.7 – 6.0 cm long, scales c. 2, subbasal. Floral bracts 5.7 – 8.0 mm long, pedicel node 4.5 – 8.0 mm distant from the floral bract attachment. Flowers: Pedicel plus ovary 40 – 65 mm long. Median sepal spreading to reflexed, oblong to ovate, 17 – 20 × 5.0 – 5.4 mm, ratio length/width 3.1 – 3.8; acuminate, margins entire; glabrous, 3-veined. Lateral sepals as the median but slightly oblique, oblong to ovate-triangular, 19.2 – 20.5 × 5.0 – 6.6 mm, ratio length/width 3.1 – 3.9. Petals downwards geniculate, with the apical two thirds almost at right angles to the basal third, oblong with a widened base, 3.0 – 3.7 × c. 1.7 mm at the base, ratio length/width 1.7 – 2.2; rounded, margins entire; glabrous, distally slightly thickened, 1-veined. Lip porrect, elliptic, oblong towards base and apex, 17.5 – 18.2 × 4.5 – 5.8 mm, ratio length/width 3.1 – 3.9 (without spreading); rounded, margins obtusely auriculate close to the base, entire; glabrous, thick and of spongy structure; adaxially concave close to the base, distinctly convex elsewhere and swollen half-way along its length, bilaterally flattened and with coarsely rugose surface in the distal third; abaxially convex in the basal third of its length, elsewhere deeply concave, with two longitudinal ridges in the cavity, in the apical half with the edges of the lip folded over the cavity and almost touching. Column including stelidia 3.5 – 3.7 mm long, curved, stigma narrow, distinctly protruding at its base, foot distally widened, without lateral teeth. Stelidia upwards falcate, narrowly triangular, 1.0 – 1.5 mm long, acute, lower margin with a large, patent, deltoid, obtuse tooth near the base, midvein near the base with a high, patent keel with rounded profile. Anther abaxially with a wide, rounded, papillose crest, front deltoid, obtuse, somewhat concave. Pollinia 4, rather flat; inner pair slightly shorter than the outer pair.
(After Vermeulen & Schuiteman 2021)
Leaves sometimes with a glaucous sheen on the adaxial surface. Sepals white, near the base with a large, transverse dark purple-red blotch almost spanning the width
of the sepal, and with thin purple-red veins. Petals white proximally, blackish purple distally, vein red-purple. Lip white with small red-purple spots close to the base, dark red-purple distally, pink-purple in between. Column white.
Tropical lowland rainforest with moderately open to closed canopy, on volcanic alluvium. Alt. 250 m asl.
Malesia (New Guinea).
Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands Province, type); also 2 photographic records from unkown localities.
Warm growing epiphyte.
Unknown.
- Family Orchidaceae
- Subfamily Epidendroideae
- Tribe Dendrobieae
- Subtribe Bulbophyllinae
- Genus Bulbophyllum
- Section Codonosiphon
- Species Bulbophyllum cophocropion
Among section Codonosiphon with a creeping rhizome, B. cophocropion is identified by the combination of distant, quadrangular pseudobulbs and distinctly
downwards geniculate petals with a rounded apex. The only other medium sized, creeping sect. Codonosiphon with distant pseudobulbs is B. rectilabre J.J.Sm., which differs from B. cophocropion in its only slightly falcate, subacute petals and porrect stelidia, and in its lip which is distally only slightly concave on the abaxial side. Another species with somewhat similar flowers but close-set pseudobulbs is B.trachyglossum Schltr., which differs in only slightly downwards falcate, acute petals and the papillose adaxial side of the lip.
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Bulbophyllum cophocropion
Bulbophyllum cophocropion J.J.Verm. & Schuit., habit and flower details. Drawn by © J.J. Vermeulen, from J.J. Vermeulen & A. Schuiteman, OrchideenJournal 9, 1 (2021) 4. .