Orchids of New Guinea

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Bulbophyllum leucoglossum

Bulbophyllum leucoglossum Schuit., Juswara & Droissart -- PhytoKeys 61 (2016) 50, fig. 2, A1 - A6; fig. 3 A-D.

Type: Droissart & Juswara 1789 (holo BO, spirit material).

Epiphytic herb. Roots wiry, branching, 0.05 cm diam. Rhizome short, creeping. Pseudobulbs close together, light green, narrowly ovoid, 2.0–2.4 by 0.7–0.8 cm, with c. 10 longitudinal grooves, 1-leaved. Leaf , thin-coriaceous, linear-elliptic, 8.8–10.3 by 1.3–1.4 cm; base gradually narrowed; apex acute. Inflorescences from the base of the pseudobulb, becoming fascicled, erect, 1-flowered; peduncle wiry, erect-patent, glabrous, 7–9 cm long; peduncle-scales 2, tubular, 0.4 cm long; floral bract tubular, strongly oblique, 0.45 cm long, with acuminate apex. Pedicel and ovary very slender, terete, weakly 6-ribbed, almost straight or curved, c. 2.5 cm long, glabrous. Flowers opening widely, the sepals patent to reflexed. Median sepal linear-oblong, 1.43 by 0.28 cm; apex acute; 3-nerved. Lateral sepals free, obliquely linear-oblong, 1.34 by 0.33 cm; apex acute; 3-nerved. Petals linear-oblong, glabrous, 2.6 by 0.8 mm; towards the base slightly widened; apex obtuse. Lip clawed, slightly mobile, attached to the column-foot by a ligament 0.03 by 0.04 cm; claw in the basal half almost quadrangular, tapering towards the blade, glabrous, 0.24 by 0.15 cm; margins in the basal half lobe-like, erect, hemi-elliptic; blade cucullate, narrowly oblong, strongly convex above, 9.7 by 2.3 mm; margins deflexed, finely lacerate-fimbriate; blade adaxially with one median keel and two lateral keels on each side, the keels finely lacerate-fimbriate; on the concave abaxial side with two lacerate-fimbriate lamellae, towards the apex slightly tapering, apex obtuse. Column curved, strongly swollen at the base 0.23 cm long, column-foot short but distinct, thick, 0.1 cm long; apical column-wings each with two short obtuse teeth, the wings 0.04 cm wide; stigma in lateral view with protruding lower margin; anther helmet-shaped, 0.06 cm long, very slightly papillose; pollinia not seen.
(after Schuiteman, Juswara & Droissart 2016).

Colours:

Pseudobulbs close together, light green. Leaf deeper green. Sepals and petals maroon; lip white, at base wine-red, basal part of the keels sulphur-yellow; column cream-colour tinged maroon, swollen basal part and foot light green; anther pale greenish.

Habitat:

Epiphyte about 1.5 m from the ground on a slender, moss-grown, overhanging tree trunk in medium-sloping terrain in submontane forest. Altitude 1005 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Indonesia (West Papua Province, Kaimana Regency), see map

Cultivation:

Intermediate growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

November.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Bulbophyllinae
Genus Bulbophyllum
Section Codonosiphon
Species Bulbophyllum leucoglossum

Notes:

Bulbophyllum leucoglossum is similar to Bulbophyllum pyroglossum Schuit. & de Vogel in the hinged lip and the hair-like appendages on the surface of the lip, but the appendages are about four times shorter and shaped as densely lacerate-fimbriate keels (versus discrete, subulate projections arranged in rows), has
two lamellae on the abaxial (concave) side of the lip (versus lacking in B. pyroglossum), and much narrower and longer petals, and an white instead of an orange lip.