Orchids of New Guinea

Bulbophyllum muricatum

Bulbophyllum muricatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 45 (1911) 9

Type: Nouhuys, van 17 (Wichmann Mts. 2800-3000 m) (holo BO)

Synonyms:

Monosepalum muricatum (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 682

Terrestrial. Inflorescences 1-flowered; peduncle (pars adest) c. 9.5 cm long; especially above verrucose; basal part with small tubular sheath c. 1.2 cm long. Floral bract tubular, upper part hardly widened, obtuse, c. 1.25 cm long. Flower rather large, nodding, pointing downwards, c. 4.4 cm long. Sepals connate to the middle forming an oblong, tripartite blade, when flattened c. 4.6 by 1.27 cm, with concave base. Lateral sepals to the apex of the column-foot free, entirely linear, 5-nerved, reticulate-veined, inside verrucose, the free part lanceolate-triangular, somewhat acute, at the base 0.4 cm wide. Petals very small, wider than long, appressed to the column 0.43 cm long; base very shortly clawed, obliquely flabellate-dilated; top margin unequally wavy-4-lobulate, transparent, 3-nerved, 0.28 by 0.38 cm; appendages 3 unequal, attached between the lobules, in 2/5 upper part when dried yellow, the median appendage very long clavate-filiform capitellata 0.63 cm long, the upper appendage somewhat thicker than the median one, 0.57 cm long, the lower appendage very short compressed-clavate with the apex hardly thickened, obtuse. Lip small, mobile, pendulous, about bean-shaped, fleshy, 0.4 by 0.2 cm; base rounded, above the base attached; laterally compressed; apex a very small oblong, blade; in front underneath longitudinally grooved; papillose, above somewhat finely villose. Column 0.34 cm long; stelidia, with from a triangular base long filiform, much longer than the anther; stigma longitudinal, narrow; column-foot making an almost right angle with the column and an obtuse angle with the ovary, its base swollen, at the apex incurved and slightly dilated, when not flattened 0.33 cm long. Anther cucullate, 0.13 cm long; apex extended, obtuse; dorsally keeled. Ovary clavate, curved, very densely reverse muricate, 0.6 cm long; pedicel above verrucose, c. 4 cm long, 0.8 cm above the base articulate. (After Smith, 1911)