Species Information - Spathoglottis papuana

Spathoglottis papuana F.M.Bailey, Queensland Agric. J. 3 (1898) 159 [p. 6 on reprint]

Type: Bailey s.n. (New Guinea, Porlock Bay) (holo BRI; iso BRI 2x)

Synonyms:

Rhizome short. Pseudobulbs clustered, 3-6-leaved, ovoid to conical, internodes few, in the apical part short, covered with thin papery remains of the leaf-sheaths. Leaves petiolate; petiole 5-12 cm long; blade lanceolate, 30-45 by 2.5 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, erect, slender, 25-45 cm long; peduncle 20.7-30.5 cm long, 0.08-0.2 cm diam., glabrous, peduncle-scales c. 3, tubular; rachis much shorter than peduncle, glabrous, with few flowers opening at a time. Floral bracts ovate, 0.7-1.1 by 0.4-0.58 cm, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous. Ovary slender, glabrous or with a few scattered small hairs. Flowers to 3.8 cm wide. Median sepal oblong-ovate, 1.7-2.2 by 0.8-0.9 cm, glabrous, sometimes outside with prominent mid-rib. Lateral sepals oblong, 1.7-2.1 by 0.7-0.8 cm, glabrous, outside keeled towards the apex, apex acute. Petals oblong to oblong-ovate, 1.7-2 by 1-1.1 cm, glabrous, apex rounded or acute. Lip 3-lobed, 1.4-1.7 by 1.3-1.7 cm wide between tips of lateral lobes when flattened; callus bilobed, with obscurely triangular or rounded lobes, 0.2-0.28 cm tall, 0.26-0.38 cm wide, with a few glandular hairs at the top, laterally at base also with few hairs or glabrous; lateral lobes when flattened making an 88 to 121 degrees angle with the mid-lobe, oblong to falcate-cuneate, 0.6-0.8 by 0.25-0.43 cm, apex subtruncate; claw of mid-lobe 0.38-0.58 cm long, 0.1-0.15 cm wide, with or without an indistinct knee-like swelling, with small lobules on either side of the bilobed callus; terminal lobule broadly obcordate to obtriangular, 0.5-0.76 cm wide. Column distinctly curved, 1.3-1.6 cm long. Anther cucullate, slightly umbonate. Fruit cylindrical, 2-3 by 0.8-1 cm. (After Howcroft, 1992).

Note: Not easy to distinguish from Spathoglottis plicata, differs mainly in the thinner peduncle (at most 3 mm diameter according to Howcroft), the smaller floral bracts, and the not tomentose but glabrous or sparsely hairy ovary.

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