Species Information - Agrostophyllum elongatum

Agrostophyllum elongatum (Ridl.) Schuit., Blumea 35 (1990) 165

Type: Ridley s.n. (Malay Peninsula, Tahan R.) (holo SING, not seen by Schuiteman 1997; iso K)

Synonyms:

• Appendicula elongata Ridl., Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 3 (1893) 375
  - Type: Ridley s.n. (Malay Peninsula, Tahan R.) (holo SING, not seen by Schuiteman 1997; iso K)
• Appendiculopsis elongata (Ridl.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 120
• Appendicula hasseltii Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 304
  - Type: Blume s.n., H.L.B. 903,320-7, without locality (holo L; iso P)
• Podochilus hasseltii (Blume) Schltr., Mém. Herb. Boissier 21 (1900) 61
• Agrostophyllum hasseltii (Blume) J.J.Sm., Icon. Bogor. 2 (1903) sub t. 110 A (non Rchb.f.)
• Appendicula graminifolia Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indië 24 (1862) 322
  - Type: Bogor cult. (Teijsmann?) s.n. (Mt. Salak) (holo BO?, not seen by Schuiteman 1997)
• Agrostophyllum costatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 1
  - Type: Bogor cult. (Exp. Lorentz, Djibdja 205) s.n. (holo BO)
• Appendiculopsis costata (J.J.Sm.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 120
• Agrostophyllum costatum J.J.Sm. var. concavum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 279
  - Type: Schlechter 20092 (holo B, lost)
• Appendiculopsis costata (J.J.Sm.) Szlach. var. concava (Schltr.) Szlach., Fragm. Florist. Geobot. Suppl. 3 (1995) 120
• Agrostophyllum palawense Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 56 (1921) 476
  - Type: Ledermann 14468 (holo B, lost)

Rhizome elongated, occasionally rather short. Stems either or (more frequently) not branching, 0.5-7 cm apart, slightly compressed, suberect to pendulous, (20-)30-120 cm long, 0.35-0.6 cm wide across the sheaths. Leaves broadly oblong to linear-oblong, (0.8-)1-2.3(-3.5) by 0.4-1.1 cm, slightly narrowing towards the apex; distance between successive leaves on the same side of the stem 0.5-1.3 cm, sheaths entire to deeply slit, without appendages, rarely with two short triangular teeth pointing horizontally away from the stem-axis. Capitulum few- to many-flowered. Pedicel and ovary 0.35-0.52 cm long. Median sepal broadly ovate, 0.35 by 0.22 cm, subacute. Lateral sepals obliquely broadly ovate, 0.33 by 0.3 cm, abruptly acuminate. Petals obtuse to subacute, 0.3 by 0.1-0.13 cm. Lip concave at the base, with the lateral margins not adnate to the column-foot, 0.3-0.35 cm long; hypochile 0.17-0.2 cm long, 0.15-0.17 cm wide in the centre (not flattened), lobes triangular-ovate, 0.06-0.08 cm long, with a median keel in basal half, no callus between the lobes; epichile suborbicular to transversely elliptic, 0.14-0.17 by 0.16-0.18 cm (not flattened), broadly rounded, mucronate, more or less conspicuously papillose. Column 0.15-0.17 cm long, foot 0.04-0.08 cm long, stelidia truncate, rostellum bidentate. Fruit ellipsoid, obscurely triangular in cross section, c. 0.7 by 0.25 cm. (After Schuiteman, 1997).

Note: Easily recognised by the numerous very small leaves that are abruptly narrowed at the base. In this last detail it differs from Agrostophyllum appendiculoides and allied species, which are superficially similar. These species also have a more complex flower structure than A. elongatum.

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