Species Information - Phreatia spathilabia

Phreatia spathilabia Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17 (1921) 381

Type: Kempf s.n. (border between German and English New Guinea, Waria region) (holo B, lost)

Synonyms:

Epiphytic, very small, c. 8 cm high. Roots filiform, flexuose, slender, glabrous. Rhizome creeping, flexuose, slender, with many roots. Pseudobulbs c. 2 cm apart, depressed-subglobose, 1-leaved, about 0.3 cm high, c. 0.4 cm diam. Leaf erect or suberect, ligulate, obtuse, towards the base gradually subpetiolate-narrowed, c. 4.5 cm long, near the middle 0.8 cm wide. Inflorescence erect, arising near the base of the pseudobulbs, very slender, glabrous; peduncle with a few small scales, almost as long as the leaves; rachis densely flowered, secund, c. 3 cm long. Floral bracts subpatent, lanceolate, acuminate, about as long as the ovary. Flowers not resupinate, glabrous. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, about 0.18 cm long. Lateral sepals strongly oblique, at the base along the front strongly dilated; mentum very long, oblong, obtuse, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely ovate, obtuse, a little shorter than the sepals. Lip a little shorter than the lateral sepals, with a narrowly ligulate claw; blade suborbicular-obovate, obtusely apiculate, with irregular margins. Column short, rostellum bifid; clinandrium dorsally somewhat expanded, a little shorter than the rostellum; column-foot decurved, slender, elongated. Ovary with pedicel clavate, glabrous, 0.23 cm long.
(After Schlechter, 1921)

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