Orchids of New Guinea

Tropidia triloba

Tropidia triloba J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 38

Type: Versteeg 1433 (holo BO; iso L)

Stems erect, unbranched, in the basal part covered with cataphylls, above 4- to 6-leaved, c. 23 cm long, internodes 2.5-3.5 cm long. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, long acuminate, acute, margins crisped, below sparsely appressed scaly haired-pilose and with 7 prominent nerves, 5-16 by 1.54 cm; sheaths tubular, prominently veined, sparsely scaly haired-pilose. Inflorescence terminal, not or sparsely branched, 6-11 cm long; peduncle 4-5.5 cm long, peduncle-scales 1-2, leaf-like; rachis elongated, flexuose, laxly many-flowered, producing flowers for a long time, to 4.5 cm long. Floral bracts distichous, widely patent, at the apex recurved, conduplicate-boat-shaped, clasping the rachis, ovate, acutely acuminate, with crisped margins, inside and outside sparsely puberulous, 0.7-0.9 by 0.4-0.5 cm. Sepals outside sparsely puberulous. Median sepal incurved, lanceolate-linear, acute, concave, 3-nerved, 1.27 by 0.2 cm. Lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, obtusely falcate, the straight line from base to tip 0.7 cm long, 0.23 cm wide. Petals linear-lanceolate, 0.8 by 0.25 cm, with laterally flattened acuminate apicule, almost right-angled falcate, 3-nerved, mid-vein dorsally prominent. Lip parallel to the column, broad, 3-lobed, concave, at the base not saccate, inside with 2 thin keels that are strongly swollen on the mid-lobe and extend beyond the middle of the mid-lobe, below with a longitudinal groove, when flattened 0.55 by 0.5 cm; lateral lobes clasping the column, broadly rounded, much shorter than the column; mid-lobe strongly recurved, strongly convex, when flattened subovate-rounded, broadly obtuse, 0.27 cm long and wide. Column slender, clavate, 0.5 cm long; filament short, thick; rostellum prolonged, ovate, in front longitudinally conduplicate, acutely bidentate; stigma transversely crescent-shaped, with strongly raised and reflexed lower margins. Anther ovate, acutely acuminate; distinctly shorter than the rostellum, 0.2 cm long. Ovary 6-grooved, sparsely puberulous, 0.9 cm long. (After Smith, 1909)