Orchids of New Guinea

Appendicula reflexa

Appendicula reflexa Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 301

Type: Blume s.n. (Tjapus R.); (Pantjar) (syn L; iso P)

Synonyms:

Podochilus reflexus (Blume) Schltr., Mém. Herb. Boissier 21 (1900) 31
- Type: Blume s.n. (Tjapus R.); (Pantjar) (syn L; iso P)
Appendicula viridiflora Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indië 24 (1862) 321
- Type: Bogor cult. (Teijsmann?) s.n. (Bogor)
Appendicula vieillardii Rchb.f., Linnaea 41 (1877) 76
- Type: Vieillard cult. 1290 (New Caledonia) (Balade) (lecto Hallé; iso K); 1290'; 1290''
Podochilus vieillardii (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Mém. Herb. Boissier 21 (1900) 32
Appendicula cordata Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 (1890) 83; Hooker's Icon. Pl. 22 (1893) t. 2148
- Type: Scortechini s.n. (M.P., Perak) (holo K)
Appendicula formosana Hayata, J. Coll. Sci. Tokyo 30 Art. 1 (1911) 340
- Type: Uchiyama s.n. (1896, Taiwan)
Appendicula kotoensis Hayata, J. Coll. Sci. Tokyo 30 Art. 1 (1911) 341
- Type: Kawakami & Mori 5802 (Taiwan, Kotosho)
Podochilus reflexus (Blume) Schltr. var. cycloglossus Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10 (1911) 37
- Type: Schlechter 20506 (Celebes) (holo B, lost)
Appendicula reflexa Blume var. cycloglossa (Schltr.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 21 (1925) 174
Appendicula robusta Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 4 (1924) 197
- Type: Burkill & Holttum 8856 (Pahang, Upper Tras valley under Fraser Hill
Appendicula dalatensis Guillaumin, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris), sér. 2, 32 (1961) 562
- Type: Sigaldi 42/Sigaldi fig. 223, 1958 (holo P)

An epiphytic herb. Stems erect, up to 60 cm long, concealed by sheathing tubular bases of the leaves. Leaves distichous, 2-ranked, twisted at the base so as to lie in one plane, oblong-lanceolate, 3.5-5.5 by 0.8-1.5 cm, c. 1 cm apart, obtusely bilobed at apex. Inflorescences lateral, opposite the leaves, very short, c. 1 cm long, 2- to 4-flowered. Median sepal concave, narrowly elliptic, obtuse, 0.25 by 0.15 cm. Lateral sepals concave, broadly triangular, 0.3 by 0.2-0.25 cm, forming an obtuse mentum. Petals oblong-lanceolate, 0.2 by 0.1-0.15 cm. Lip simple, elliptic, obtuse, 0.3 by 0.2 cm, reflexed at apex, the basal appendage globose, 0.1 by 0.1 cm, with a large transversely elliptic callus in the centre. Column 0.2 cm long. (After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).

Colours:

Flowers white, turning yellowish with age.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland and hill forest in shaded positions. Altitude 100-1100 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, New Guinea, The Philippines), Thailand, Vietnam, Nicobar Is., Taiwan, Solomon Is., Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm to intermediate growing epiphyte, keep in shade.

Flowering time in the wild:

July, October.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Podochileae
Subtribe Podochilinae
Genus Appendicula
Section Appendicula
Species Appendicula reflexa

Literature:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 523
Smith, J.J., Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 118, t. 40, fig. 133
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1912) fig. 398
Lewis, B.A. & P.J. Cribb, Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville (1991) 133, fig. 29J-T
O'Byrne, P., Lowland Orchid. Papua New Guinea (1994) 128, fig.