Appendicula djamuensis

Appendicula djamuensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 346

Type: Schlechter 16602 (holo B, lost)

Epiphyte, erect or patent, up to 80 cm long; rhizome very short, roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, shortly villose; stems unbranched, almost straight, densely leafy, thinly terete, entirely covered by the closely appressed leaf-sheaths, 0.4-0.6 cm diameter; leaves erect-patent, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, obliquely obtuse, apex shallowly notched with a minute apiculum, 3-4.5 cm long, near the middle 1.5-1.8 cm wide; Inflorescence terminal or lateral near the apex of the stem, somewhat patent, densely many-flowered, elongated, up to 10 cm long; bracts reflexed, oblong, narrowly obtuse, shorter than the ovary. Flowers patent, glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, 0.5 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, at the base along the front margin lobed-dilated, mentum oblongoid, obtuse 0.4 cm long. Petals oblique, broadly elliptic, in front broadly obtuse, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline oblong, apex emarginate with a minute callus-like thickened apiculum, in basal third concave, at the base with a narrow horseshoe-shaped lamella which is decurrent towards the middle, lip in total 0.6 cm long, above the middle 0.35 cm wide. Column short, without rostellum, stigma low. Anther ovate-subcordate, acute, glabrous; pollinia obliquely clavate, about equal-sized. Ovary with pedicel clavate, glabrous, 0.6 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

Colours: Flower whitish, basal margins of petals and lip red, anther red.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest in shaded positions. Altitude 300 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known

Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 57-60M.JPG

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, keep in shade.