Orchids of New Guinea

Prev Taxon: Genus Crepidium

Current Genus: Genus Crepidium section Commelinoides

Next Taxon: Genus Crepidium section Crepidium

Prev Species: Crepidium fasciatum

Next Species: Crepidium gibbsiae

Crepidium fissum

Crepidium fissum (Schltr.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 126

Type: Schlechter 19567 (syn B, lost; iso BO, L); 19816 (syn B, lost; iso BO, L)

Synonyms:

Microstylis fissa Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 138
Malaxis fissa (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 24 (1970) 80
Microstylis floscularia J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 362, pl. 49, fig. 21.
- Type: Lam 940 (syn L; iso BO); 1076 (syn L; iso BO); 1215 (syn L; iso BO 2x); 1216 (syn L; iso BO); 1316 (syn L; iso BO)
Malaxis floscularia (J.J.Sm.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 24 (1970) 80
Crepidium floscularium (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Lasianthera 1 (1996) 36

Ascending, small, branching, up to 15 cm high. Rhizome elongated, stem-like; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous. Stem elongated, ascending at the apex, leafy, terete, glabrous. Leaves patent or erect-patent, shortly petiolate; blade obliquely lanceolate, acute, with undulate margins, 1.7-3.5 cm long, below the middle 0.7-1.2 cm wide; petiole dilated at the base clasping the stem, 0.6-1 cm long. Inflorescence slender, more or less flexuose, angular, with or without 1-2 small, distant, bract-like scales; rachis rather densely many-flowered, to 6 cm long, c. 1.2 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts deflexed, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, usually a little shorter than the ovary. Flowers patent, glabrous. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 0.3 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals obliquely linear-ligulate, obtuse, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip long-sagittate-auriculate; blade 3-lobed below the middle, 0.25 cm long, near the middle 0.35 cm wide; lateral lobes divided into four teeth, the outer one pointing outwards, almost triangular, acute, the three others filiform, 0.15-0.2 cm long; mid-lobe ovate-suborbicular, bifid to the middle, segments falcate, acute, forceps-like, overlapping; basal pit lanceolate, decurrent on the base of the mid-lobed, its margins swollen, forming a horseshoe-shaped ring; auricles obliquely lanceolate-ligulate, subacute, parallel, 0.25 cm long. Column short, rather thick, dilated in front. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, including the pedicel c. 0.4 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours:

Leaves on upper side greenish silvery grey. Flowers deep violet-red. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Stem dark violet or light green suffused with purple. Leaves light green, sometimes suffused with purple. Peduncle and bracts dark violet or light green. Sepals and petals lilac, greenish yellow or violet; lip violet, light yellow with violet margins, teeth and centre, or with light green auricles, a lilac centre and teeth; column yellow, dark violet, or violet and yellow. Fruit lilac, afterwards dark violet or yellowish brown with faint violet streaks. (After Smith, 1929)

Habitat:

Terrestrial in hill and lower montane forest; 450 to 1250 m. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Terrestrial on mossy stones in lowland forest and on stream banks; 100 to 350 m. (After Smith, 1929)

Distribution:

Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm to intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.

Flowering time in the wild:

April, May, June, September.

References:

Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 54, fig. 188, as Microstylis fissa Schltr.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Malaxideae
Genus Crepidium
Section Crepidium
Species Crepidium fissum