Glomera subracemosa J.J.Sm.

Glomera subracemose J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 39:15 (1910)- Type: von Rӧmer 1295 (holotype, BO spirits specimen 723.15)

Growth form Terrestrial. Rhizome not seen. Roots filiform, flexible, glabrous. Stem proliferously leafed, entirely covered by leaf-sheaths. Leaf lanceolate-linear, gradually narrowed towards apex, midrib grooved above, not prominent below, convex above on either side of the midrib; apex unequally 2-lobed, longer lobe sub-linear, shorter one obtuse; base half-twisted; lamina 7.5 cm long, 0.95 cm wide; sheath tight clasping, tubular, in cross section elliptic, warty, 0.28 cm wide; apex toothed, with glabrous margin. Inflorescences terminal, multi-flowered, nodding, rachis elongated, 0.9 cm long, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe suborbicular, strongly concave, outside rugose, 1.6 cm long; floral bracts not seen. Flowers upright, secund, glabrous, 0.63 cm wide, 1 cm long. Median sepal ovate, apex obtuse, minutely obtusely apiculate, recurved, base concave, 3-nerved, 0.73 cm long, 0.46 cm wide. Lateral sepals at base long saccate-connate, clasping the spur, in total 0.93 cm long, free part obliquely ovate, apex obtusely apiculate, 3-nerved, 0.53 cm long, 0.45 cm wide; mentum broad, broadly obtuse, subretuse. Petal elliptic, apex obtuse, recurved, 3-nerved, 0.68 cm long, 0.36 cm wide. Lip at base adnate to the column, ovate, carnose, 0.33 cm long, 0.27 cm wide; epichile broadly rounded; hypochile abruptly thickened at the straight base, spurred; spur pointing backward, appressed to the ovary, oblong, laterally compressed, apex obtuse, 0.28 cm long. Column basal half adnate to the lip, slightly curved, short, 0.2 cm long, apex obtuse; clinandrium not seen. Anther orbicular, sharply acute, conical-cucullate, apex rounded, membranous-marginate, 0.13 cm wide; rostellum porrect, broad, broadly retuse; pollinia 4, pear-shaped; stigma deeply saccate, angular-semiorbicular, lower margin strongly elongated, recurved; viscidium present. Ovary cylindric, glabrous, 0.4 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution – Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Habitat and Ecology – Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 1800-2577 m. Flowering in July in the wild.

Notes - 1. Flowers white with lip yellow or white with red tip; anther black.

2. The epithet subracemosa refers to the many clusters of flowers of the species (racemose means cluster in Latin).

3. Specimen observed: von Rӧmer 1295.

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