Species Information - Bulbophyllum nocturnum

Bulbophyllum nocturnum J.J.Verm., de Vogel, Schuit. & A.Vogel, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 167 (2011) 344–350, fig. 1-3.

Type: Leiden cult. 20080300 (holo LAE; iso L), from PNG, New Britain

Synonyms:

Epiphytes. Roots sprouting near the base of the rhizome, growing backwards along it until reaching the substrate. Rhizome patent to pendulous, up to 15 by 0.3-0.4 cm; sections between pseudobulbs 2.4-3 cm long, scale leaves persistent. Pseudobulbs distant, ellipsoid-cylindrical, 1-1.5 by 0.4-0.5 cm. Leaves subsessile, elliptic to ovate; blade 5.3-6.2 by 2.1-3.2 cm, index (length/width) 1.8-2.5; abaxial surface corrugated; apex acute. Inflorescence c. 2 cm long, 1-flowered; peduncle porrect, c. 0.5 cm long; scale leaves 2, the longest c. 0.4 cm long; floral bract tubular, c. 0.6 cm long, with acute apex. Flowers opening widely. Pedicel with ovary c. 1 cm long; basal node on a c. 4 mm long stump. Median sepal spreading, ovate, thick, c. 1.4 by 0.4 cm, index c. 3.5; base broadly attached; surface glabrous; margins entire; apex acute. Lateral sepals free, triangular, otherwise as the dorsal sepal, c. 1.5 by 0.4 cm, index 3.7-3.8. Petals porrect, a narrow seam along the base of the column, entire, c. 0.1 by 0.2 cm, index c. 0.5; surface glabrous; with two types of stalked, papillose appendages along the top margin; the first type thick, widest near the base and gradually tapering to the top, 0.55-0.8 by 0.02-0.03 cm, at the base abruptly narrowed into a thread-thin, smooth stalk c. 0.2 cm long, at the apex acute; the second type much thinner, stalk-like, subulate, 0.3-0.35 cm long, gradually passing into a 0.15-0.2 cm long stalk; these appendages divided in three groups, 3 and 4 of the first type at the upper and lower edge of the petal, 3 of the second type in between. Lip , thick, c. 0.33 by 0.13 cm, index 2.5-2.6; with patent, triangular, acute lobes on the proximal 1/4-1/5 of the length of the lip; midlobe obovate; apex acuminate; upper surface constricted to a narrow, deeply furrowed, irregularly verrucate strip with irregular edges; lower surface inflated, somewhat furrowed, increasingly papillose with elongated papillae towards the tip. Column c. 0.24 cm long; stigma obovate, without keels inside; column foot slightly widened distally; stelidia c. 0.07 cm long, triangular, obtuse, upper margin erose, lower with a patent, deltoid, subacute tooth with a much smaller tooth on its front margin; anther-cap abaxially with a narrow crest, surface glabrous, front margin drawn out into a retuse beak; pollinia 4, inner ones c. half as long as the outer ones. (After Vermeulen et al., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 167 (2011) 344–350, fig. 1-3.

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