Glomera nigrilimbata P. Royen

Glomera nigrilimbata P. Royen, Alpine Fl. New Guinea 2 :519 (1979)  – Type : Kalkman 4535 (holotype, L)

Growth form Terrestrial, erect, much branched, bushy, up to 75 cm high. Rhizome ca. 2-3 mm in diameter. Root filiform, thick, 50 mm long, 1 mm in diameter. Stem stout, apical parts often pendulous, rounded, internodes 0.3-2.2 cm long. Leaf lanceolate, patent, coriaceous, glabrous, 0.7 -3.5 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm wide; apex unequally 2-lobed, longer tip rounded, shorter tip acute and folded over the midrib; midrib grooved on the upper side, prominent on the lower part; lateral nerves 2 on either side of the midrib, branched, visible on underside only; margin thin, scabrous-erose; sheath tight, sometimes transversely elongate, stoutly ribbed, densely, warty mainly on the ribs; apex without tooth, glabrous. Inflorescences 5-8-flowered, up to 10 mm long, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe widely obovate-circular, apex acute, glabrous, 0.7-0.8 cm long, 5-nerved at the base, more nerved in the apical part; floral bract elliptic or obovate elliptic, apex acute, glabrous, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-nerved. Flowers upright, glabrous. Median sepal ovate-elliptic, 0.5 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide; apex obtuse; base 4-nerved. Lateral sepals broadly obliquely ovate-quadrangular, 5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-nerved at base, 5-7-nerved in higher parts; apex acute; base connate along frontal margin in basal ¼ only; mentum obliquely oblong, rounded, 3-lobed seen frontally Petal obliquely elliptic-ovate, with brown dots along the nerves, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-nerved at base, 4-5-nerved in higher parts; apex rounded, acute. Lip heart shaped-triangular, 2.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; epichile rounded, darker color in the anterior margin; hypochile ornamented with callus; spur cylindrical, truncate at base, curved forward, 3 mm long. Column 2.5 by 1.5 by 1 mm long, with column foot; apex curved inward; clinandrium tridentate margin; stelidia triangular, acute, 0.5 mm long. Anther kidney-shaped, 1.3 by 1 by 1.2 mm; pollinia pear-shaped, 0.6 mm long; viscidium absent. Ovary obovoid-oblong, glabrous, trigonous, 3.5-4 mm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution - Papua New Guinea.

Habitat and Ecology - Terrestrial in subalpine shrubberies on Mt. Star and Mt. Antares. Altitude 3380 m. Flowering in July in the wild.

Notes -  1. Flowers greenish white, lip with a thin black margin. Fragrant? Check in Hortus.

3. The epithet nigrilimbata refers to the black (nigri-) bordered (-limbata) lip of the flowers.

4. Specimen observed L 0061332 (type).

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