The World Flora Online

An erect epiphytic herb 10–38 cm. high. Stems approximate, terete, with a basal nut-like swelling, up to 38 cm. high, 1–3 mm. in diameter, covered at the base by 1–2 scarious tubular sheaths, 3–5-leaved above. Leaves almost erect, linear or linear-ligulate, shortly obtuse or subacutely bidentate at apex, 4–17 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide. Inflorescence subequal in length to the leaves, unbranched or weakly branched, to 17 cm. long, 4–many-flowered; peduncle to 12 cm. long, covered with papery sheaths; rhachis densely pubescent; bracts lanceolate or rarely ovate, long- acuminate, 1.5–7 mm. long; pedicel and ovary 5–7 mm. long, glabrous to pubescent. Flowers cream-coloured, fragrant, up-turned, drying yellow or brown. Dorsal sepal convex, lanceolate, acute, 8–10 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. wide; lateral sepals subfalcate, triangular-lanceolate, acute, 10 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide; mentum conical, 3.5–4.5 mm. high; sepals glabrous or very sparsely hairy. Petals curved, ligulate- oblanceolate, 7–9 mm. long, 1.7–2 mm. wide, acute or slightly acuminate. Lip shortly clawed, 3-lobed in middle, 3.5–9.5 mm. long, 6–6.5 mm. wide, recurved; side lobes semi-orbicular, rounded, 1 mm. long, 2 mm. wide; mid-lobe ovate-lanceolate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, 4 mm. long, 2.75 mm. wide, strongly recurved, acute or acuminate, margin crisped-undulate. Column slightly incurved, 2 mm. long, semi-terete. Fig. 79, p. 378. Stems approximate, terete, with a basal nut-like swelling, up to 38 cm. high, 1–3 mm. in diameter, covered at the base by 1–2 scarious tubular sheaths, 3–5-leaved above. Leaves almost erect, linear or linear-ligulate, shortly obtuse or subacutely bidentate at apex, 4–17 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide. Inflorescence subequal in length to the leaves, unbranched or weakly branched, to 17 cm. long, 4–many-flowered; peduncle to 12 cm. long, covered with papery sheaths; rhachis densely pubescent; bracts lanceolate or rarely ovate, long- acuminate, 1.5–7 mm. long; pedicel and ovary 5–7 mm. long, glabrous to pubescent. Flowers cream-coloured, fragrant, up-turned, drying yellow or brown. Dorsal sepal convex, lanceolate, acute, 8–10 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. wide; lateral sepals subfalcate, triangular-lanceolate, acute, 10 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide; mentum conical, 3.5–4.5 mm. high; sepals glabrous or very sparsely hairy. Petals curved, ligulate- oblanceolate, 7–9 mm. long, 1.7–2 mm. wide, acute or slightly acuminate. Lip shortly clawed, 3-lobed in middle, 3.5–9.5 mm. long, 6–6.5 mm. wide, recurved; side lobes semi-orbicular, rounded, 1 mm. long, 2 mm. wide; mid-lobe ovate-lanceolate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, 4 mm. long, 2.75 mm. wide, strongly recurved, acute or acuminate, margin crisped-undulate. Column slightly incurved, 2 mm. long, semi-terete. Fig. 79, p. 378.