Orchids of New Guinea

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Bulbophyllum lorentzianum

Bulbophyllum lorentzianum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 39 (1910) 3

Type: Bogor cult. (Exp. Lorentz, Djibdja 465) s.n.; s.n. s. coll. (probable isotypes AMES, BO 5x; L 2x)

Rhizome creeping, elongated, branched, terete, 0.35-0.5 cm; sheaths short, tubular. Pseudobulbs c. 3 cm apart, erect, elongated, compressed, linear, in cross-section obtusely subquadrangular, c. 6-6.5 by 1-1.2 cm; longitudinal grooved; 1-leaved; initially with 2 tubular sheaths at the base. Leaf erect, lanceolate, obtuse, apiculate, thickly coriaceous, c. 13-18 by 4.5-5 cm; base narrowed into a short, stout, conduplicate-channelled, c. 1-1.5 cm long petiole; margins recurved; apex recurved, acute; midrib above grooved, underneath prominent, obtuse. Inflorescences from the nodes of the rhizome, 1-flowered; peduncle pale green, c. 2 cm long. Floral bract appressed, tubular, acute, 0.6 cm long; above keeled. Flower medium size, c. 2 cm wide, patent, fleshy. Median sepal approx. porrect, elliptic-ovate, acuminate, strongly concave, fleshy, on either side shining, c. 1.75 by 0.95 cm; 5-nerved, nerves inside towards the base prominent, dorsally obscure. Lateral sepals recurved, decurrent on the column-foot, obliquely oblong-ovate, slightly falcate, acute, apiculate, c. 2 by 0.85 cm; inside in the middle verrucose. Petals very small, obovate-oblong, broadly obtuse, concave, 0.43 by 0.28 cm; in basal half midrib inside thickened; upper part minutely finely ciliate. Lip mobile, small, fleshy, laterally compressed, acute, 0.48 by 0.2 cm; base concave and with 2 obtuse, lobules; basal part with 2 longitudinal, papillose keels, between these with 2 small additional keels; above convex. Column thick, laterally compressed, shining, in total 0.63 cm long; stelidia distinctly exceeding the anther, subulate, slightly falcate, parallel; with a broadly triangular, obtuse wing along the lower margin; column-foot making an almost right angle with the ovary, incurved, truncate, when not flattened 0.4 cm long. Anther cucullate; beak rather large, triangular, obtuse. Pollinia 4, strongly laterally compressed, thin. Ovary 6-grooved, shining, pale glaucous-green, 0.5 cm long; pedicel with base articulate, c. 4.4 cm long. (After Smith, 1911)

Colours:

Pseudobulbs green. Leaf above shining green, underneath pale green. Inflorescence pale green. Floral bract pale. Flower sweetly smelling of fish. Median sepal greenish yellow. Lateral sepals yellow, the middle part inside and the apex dirty violet-punctate. Petals in basal half pale yellow, in upper part of paler colour, semitransparent, with dark violet spots and margin. Lip violetish-white, dark violet-punctate; the base yellow, opaque. Column greenish-yellow; stelidia yellowish, very minutely dark violet-apiculate, additional lobes sparsely dark violet-punctate; column-foot yellow, dark purple-punctate. Anther pale green; beak pale yellowish. Pollinia somewhat translucent yellow. Ovary shining, pale glaucous-green; pedicel above the base articulate pale green.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland forest; 440 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (New Guinea).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map

Distribution of Bulbophyllum lorentzianum in New Guinea

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

September.

References:

Smith, J.J., Nova Guinea 8, 3 (1911) 580, t. 99A

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Bulbophyllinae
Genus Bulbophyllum
Section Polymeres
Species Bulbophyllum lorentzianum