Mediocalcar stevenscoodei P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 675, fig. 239
Type: LAE (Stevens & Coode) 51427 (holo LAE, also alc.; iso CANB, K, L)
Synonyms:
Roots densely covered with root hairs, c. 1 mm thick. Rhizome creeping, infrequently branching, 1.5-3 mm thick. Cataphylls 4-6, closely appressed, slightly verrucose, subacute, keeled near the tip. Pseudobulbs 2-3 cm apart, cylindrical to ellipsoid, 1-2 cm long, 3-5 mm across; base elongated, enveloping the rhizome, 10-15 mm long, free top ascending, 7-10 mm long. Leaves two or not rarely three per pseudobulb, subpetiolate, the blade elliptic to broadly elliptic (index 2-6), 2.5-3.5 cm by 6-13.5 mm, petiole up to 2 mm long; glabrous, keeled below; margin minutely erose; apex rounded, minutely bilobulate, mucronate, with the mucro about as long as the lobules; carnose. Inflorescences solitary or in pairs, synanthous, at the base with an inconspicuous scale c. 1 mm long. Peduncle 10-13 mm long, at the apex with an obscurely triangular bract c. 1 mm long. Pedicel and ovary c. 10 mm long. Flowers narrowly urceolate, slightly oblique, 12.5 mm long. Synsepalum c. 13 mm long and 16.5 mm wide when cut open and flattened; free tips only slightly spreading, 4.7 mm long, obtuse. Lateral sepals smooth on outside. Petals linear-oblanceolate (index 6.2), 12 by 1.9 mm; apex acute; 3-nerved. Lip 9.8 by 3.5 mm in natural position, the blade ovate when flattened; claw strongly sigmoid, when straightened c. 7 by 1.7 mm, narrowing towards the base, auricles not or hardly developed; apex acuminate, straight; margins erect; the blade with a shallow depression, c. 1 mm deep. Column clavate, 8.2 mm long, 2.5 mm wide at the apex; foot very short. Fruit ellipsoid, 15-20 mm long, 3-4 mm across. (After Schuiteman, 1997)
Flowers red with green tips. Leaves shiny.
Epiphyte in subalpine forest; 2840-3200 m.
Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Cool growing epiphyte, requires light position.
May, June, August.
Although superficialy similar to the common Mediocalcar agathodaemonis this very local species is actually closer in many ways to Mediocalcar pygmaeum, although much more robust in all parts.
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