Species Information - Calanthe micrantha

Calanthe micrantha Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 383

Type: Schlechter 18823 (holo B, lost; iso L)

Synonyms:

• Calanthe curvato-ascendens Gilli, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 84, B (1980 publ. 1983) 17, fig. 4
  - Type: Gilli 466 (holo W)
• Calanthe fragilis Govaerts, World Checklist Seed Plants 3, 1 (1999) 11 (nom. nov.)
• Calanthe ombrophila P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 140, fig. 58
  - Type: Balgooy, van 214 (holo L)
• Calanthe tenuis Gilli, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 84, B (1980 publ. 1983) 20 (non Ames & C.Schweinf.)
  - Type: Gilli 347 (holo W)

Terrestrial, slender, erect, 35-55 cm high; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; leaves erect-patent, elliptic, acuminate, at the base cuneate, narrowed into the petiole which is dilated and sheathing at the base, blade 10-25 cm long, near the middle 4-8 cm wide, glabrous on both sides; Inflorescence slender, terete, with few, distant, clasping, acuminate, minutely puberulous scales; rachis rather densely many-flowered, up to 15 cm long, 2 cm diameter (measured across the flowers); bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, puberulous, somewhat shorter than the pedicellate ovary. Flowers erect-patent, eventually becoming almost patent. Sepals reflexed, elliptic, obtuse, 0.4 cm long, glabrous. Lateral sepals oblique. Petals reflexed, ligulate-linear, obtuse, somewhat dilated towards the apex, glabrous; about as long as the sepals. Lip as long as the petals, deeply 3-lobed, lateral lobes divergent, ligulate-oblong, obtuse, 0.25 cm long, mid-lobe oblong, up to the middle narrowly obtusely bilobulate, 0.28 cm long, at the mouth of the spur with 3 calli, in front of these with 4 very small warts, spur straight, horizontal, cylindrical, somewhat widened at the apex, subbilobulate, glabrous, 1.1 cm long. Column widened towards the apex, glabrous, auricles rounded-triangular. Anther broadly ovate-cucullate, glabrous, in front minutely notched, dorsally umbonate; pollinia obliquely clavate, about equal-sized; viscidium rounded, medium-sized. Ovary with pedicel subclavate, nearly glabrous, 0.6 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Note: A common species.

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