Glomera oligantha Schltr.

Glomera oligantha Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 16:46 (1919)-Type: Kempf s.n (holotype, B lost)

Growth form Epiphyte, sparsely branched at base, 7-10 cm high. Rhizome not seen. Roots long, filiform, flexible, glabrous. Stem simple or sparsely branched, thinly cylindrical, proliferously leafed, completely covered by leaf sheaths. Leaf  oblong, patent, carnose; apex obtuse; base narrowed; lamina 0.5-0.8 cm long, 0.28-0.4 cm wide; sheath tubular, transversely warty, slightly compressed, 0.15 cm in diameter; apex toothed, with glabrous margin. Inflorescences terminal, 2-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe cucullate; floral bracts transparent, thin, cucullate, ovate. Flowers upright and upside down, glabrous. Median sepal oblong, apex obtuse, apiculate, 0.5 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, base widened along the front margins, up to the middle fused, forming a semi-oblongoid sac clasping the lip. Petal obliquely oblong-ligulate, apex obtuse, as long as the sepals. Lip semi rhombic-quadrangular, carnose, 0.15 cm long, 0.15 cm wide ; epichile broadly triangular; hypochile spurred; spur subglobose, dorsally flattened, 0.3 cm long, 0.3 cm wide. Column short, slightly incurved; clinandrium not seen; stelidia not seen. Anther not seen; pollinia 4, pear-shaped; rostellum not seen; stigma not seen; viscidium not seen. Ovary cylindric-fusiform, glabrous, 0.4 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution – Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.

Habitat and Ecology - Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1800-2200 m. Flowering in June in the wild.

Notes -  1. Flowers yellowish creamy with a lip with a bright red blotch on the tip of the lip; anther blackish.

2. The epithet oligantha refers to the 2-flowered infloresences of the species (olig-  means few and antha means flowers in Greek).

3. Specimen observed: Kempf s.n.

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