Species Information - Cryptostylis sigmoidea

Cryptostylis sigmoidea J.J.Sm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11 (1913) 553

Type: Janowsky 205

Synonyms:

Rhizome short, vertical, terete, Roots thick. Leaf erect, petiolate, oblong-elliptic or subovate, reticulate-veined, herbaceous, 6.2-6.4 cm long, 2.7-2.8 cm wide, acutely acuminate, base shortly acuminate-petiolate, mid-rib grooved above, keeled below; petiole channelled to the base, 1-1.6 cm long. Inflorescence erect, densely c. 13-flowered, peduncle 13.5-14.8 cm long, with c. 5 small, appressed, tubular, acuminate scales; rachis 2.6 cm long. Floral bracts appressed to the ovary, broadly ovate-triangular, acutely acuminate, concave, 3-nerved, 0.6-0.85 cm long. Flowers erect-patent, widely opening, not resupinate, 2.2 cm long and wide. Median sepal pointing downwards, margins incurved, tubular, linear, subulate-apiculate, base slightly dilated, 3-nerved, slightly over 1 cm long, almost 0.2 cm wide. Lateral sepals widely patent, margins tubular-involute, obliquely linear, subulate-apiculate, somewhat dilated at the base, 3-nerved, almost 1.1 cm long, at the base 0.23 cm wide. Petals smaller, margins tubular-incurved, obliquely linear-subulate, acute, 3-nerved, outer nerves very short, 0.76 cm. long, slightly over 0.1 cm wide. Lip sigmoid, hypochile strongly cucullate, glabrous, along the front margins densely puberulous, finely ciliate, underneath longitudinally grooved, enveloping the column, inside in the middle above the base with two parallel calli separated by a deep and narrow groove, the calli together forming a 5-angled structure; epichile strongly recurved, margins strongly recurved, almost touching, tubular, in the apical part strongly convex, at the apex incurved, densely puberulous-velutinous, outside glabrous, 5-nerved at the base; whole lip when flattened 1.33 cm long; hypochile transversely oblong, 0.3 by 0.75 cm; epichile subelliptic-obovate, obtuse, slightly over 1 cm long, 0.6 cm wide. Column recurved, very small, 0.13 cm long, at the apex broad; auricles very short, dentate. Anther cucullate, ovate-triangular, slightly acuminate, narrowly obtuse, 0.18 cm long, 0.15 cm wide. Stigma thickly stalked, transversely oblong-subreniform. Ovary 6-grooved, 0.75 cm long. (After Smith, 1915).

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