Glomera sublaevis J.J.Sm.

Glomera sublaevis J.J.Sm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 11:275 (1912) –Type: Gjellerup 519 (isotype L)

 

Growth form Epiphyte, up to 90 cm high. Rhizome not seen. Roots filiform, long, flexible, glabrous. Stem elongated, branched, rooting, basal part subcylindrical, above laterally compressed, in cross section elliptic, glabrous, proliferously leafed, completely covered by leaf sheaths, 0.45 cm in diameter, internodes 0.8-4 cm long. Leaf narrowly lanceolate, gradually narrowed, margins in the apical part irregularly crenulate, above on either side of the midrib convex, entirely punctate, carnose, midrib grooved above, prominent below; apex unequally 2-lobed, shorter obtuse, longer lobes linear, obtuse, 1.25-1.5 cm long; base narrowed; lamina 3.75-8 cm long, 0.5-1.15 cm wide; sheath tubular, in cross section elliptic, transversely rugulose, glabrous, when dried slightly warty, punctate, 0.35-0.5 cm wide; apex with tooth and glabrous margin. Inflorescences terminal, 12-21-flowered, nodding, dense, semi-globose, somewhat elongated, 1.4-2.2 cm in diameter, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe orbicular ovate, surpassing the flower, concave, punctate, apex long acuminate, sometimes conduplicate-acuminate, acute, 1.7-1.8 cm long, 0.8-1.1 cm wide; floral bracts transparent, thin, clasping the flower except for the apex, ovate or elliptic, strongly concave, 4-nerved, thinly membranous, apex apiculate, 0.9-1 cm long. Flowers upright, glabrous, 1 cm long, 0.73 cm wide. Median sepal ovate, slightly convex, 5-nerved, apex obtuse, 0.73 cm long, 0.43 cm wide. Lateral sepals clasping the spur of the lip, deeply saccate-connate, free part broadly obliquely triangular, 5-nerved, apex acute, when flattened in total 0.83 cm long, free part 0.18 cm long, 0.28 cm wide; mentum pointing backwards, elliptic, apex obtuse, 0.28 cm long. Petal oblong, concave at base, 3-nerved, apex obtuse, recurved, 0.63 cm long, 0.33 cm wide. Lip in total 90.63 cm long, part of the lip adnate to the column 0.16 cm long, blade porrect, slightly recurved, quadrangular, dilated towards the apex, truncate, slightly obtusely angled, concave,  carnose, with silver dots, up to this ridge 0.3 cm long, at the base 0.2 cm long, at the apex 0.3 cm wide; epichile obtuse, with a small longitudinal rib; hypochile delimited by a strong transverse ridge, spurred; spur slightly curved, dorsally almost straight, ventrally convex, ovate, apex obtuse, to the apex of the ovary 0.25 cm long, 0.3 cm wide. Column slightly curved, dorsally strongly convex, slightly contracted above, without anther 0.23 cm long, at apex broadly triangular; column foot present;  clinandrium  denticulate; stelidia triangular, hardly shorter than rostellum. Anther not seen; rostellum truncate, slightly bilobulate; stigma together with rostellum cup-shaped, suborbicular, with lower margin strongly elongated, recurved, then narrowly incurved; pollinia not seen; viscidium not seen. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 6-ribbed, 0.45-0.5 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution – Indonesia.

Habitat and Ecology - Epiphyte in montane forest of  Mt. Cycloop. Altitude 1700 m. Flowering season in June in the wild.

Notes -  1. Flowers yellowish white with a large, bright orange-yellow blotch on the lip.

2. The epithet  sublaevis  refers to the glabrous spathe of the species (sub- andmeans slightly  andlaevis means smooth in Latin)

3. Specimen observed: Gjellerup 519.

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