Species Information - Agrostophyllum appendiculoides

Agrostophyllum appendiculoides Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 277

Type: Schlechter 19537 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, K)

Synonyms:

Epiphytic, erect or patent, small, up to 30 cm long. Rhizome very short. Roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems unbranched, very densely leafy, somewhat compressed, entirely covered by the close-fitting leaf-sheaths. Leaves patent or erect-patent, oblong-ligulate, apex shortly bilobulate, glabrous, somewhat narrowed at the base, 1.4-2 cm long, near the middle 0.4-0.6 cm wide; leaf-sheaths at the apex on both sides produced into a small linear, acute tooth. Capitulum 6-10-flowered, semiglobose, about 1.5 cm across, at first enveloped by several wide, obtuse sheaths. Peduncles short, erect or erect-patent, covered with a few imbricating scales, usually 1-flowered. Floral bract very small, hyaline, apiculate. Flowers erect or erect-patent. Sepals ovate, acute or apiculate, glabrous. Median sepal 0.45 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, somewhat decurrent at the base, 0.55 cm long. Petals obliquely ligulate, obtuse, glabrous, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip in basal part oblongoid- saccate, very weakly 3-lobed; lateral lobes reduced to a minute, obtuse tooth; mid-lobe with a short, quadrate claw, dilated into a reniform, trilobulate blade, apex shortly emarginate, lobules rounded, the median lobule longer than the laterals, lip (including the sac) 0.75 cm long; blade of mid-lobe above the base 0.5 cm wide, in front of the opening of the sac with a papillose, emarginate, transverse lamella. Column short, slightly thickened, about half as long as the lip, next to the stigma on each side dilated into a short, fleshy lobe, below the stigma in front adorned with a fleshy disc with thickened margins, column in basal half swollen in front. Anther semiglobose-cucullate, shortly apiculate, glabrous. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 0.7 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914).

Note: Related to Agrostophyllum fragrans Schltr., Agrostophyllum verruciferum Schltr., Agrostophyllum fibrosum J.J.Sm. and Agrostophyllum patentissimum J.J.Sm.

---