Glomera terrestris J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 2(2):6 (1911)
Glossorhyncha terrestris (J.J.Sm.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1:295 (1912)- Type : de Kock 56 (holotype, BO)
Growth form Terrestrial. Rhizome not seen. Roots filiform, flexible, glabrous. Stem laxly branched, slender, subcylindrical, proliferously leafed, entirely covered by leaf sheaths, internodes 0.8-1 cm long, 0.08 cm in diameter. Leaf lanceolate, erect, narrowed towards the apex, above convex with a median groove, below convex, carnose; apex unequal truncate; base contracted; lamina 1-2.2 cm long, 0.2-0.24 cm wide; sheath tight clasping, surpassing internodes, tubular, prominently veined above; apex toothed, with bristled margin. Inflorescences terminal, one-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe cucullate, tubular, apex laterally compressed-acuminate, 8-nerved, dorsally prominent, punctate, 1.1 cm long; floral bracts thin, transparent, 0.75 cm long. Flowers upright, glabrous. Median sepal oblong, apex obtuse, subulate-apiculate, base slightly narrowed, 3-nerved at base, 1 cm long, 0.43 cm wide. Lateral sepals base along front margin rounded-dilated, shortly fused, obliquely sub obovate-oblong, falcate, rounded, subulate-apiculate, 3-nerved at base, 0.85 cm long, 0.38 cm wide, basal part 0.28 cm wide. Petal elliptic, rounded, base cuneate, 3-nerved at base, 0.9 cm long, 0.53 cm wide. Lip surpassing the column, base adnate to the column, cucullate concave, indistinctly 3-lobed, 0.67 cm long, to the apex of ovary 0.45 cm long, when flattened suborbicular; epichile mid lobe acuminate, lateral lobes erect, appressed to the column, rounded, in front obtusely angled, midlobe triangular, obtuse; hypochile transversely thickened, 7-nerved, 0.44 cm long, adnate part 0.1 cm long, spurred; spur appressed to the ovary sub sigmoid-oblong, convex in front, dorsally flattened, apex bilobed, 0.3 cm long. Column dorsally convex, 0.2 cm long; clinandrium dentate filament tooth-like; stelidia parallel, shorter than rostellum, tooth-like. Anther not seen; rostellum semiorbicular, deeply bifid, lobes obtuse; pollinia 4, pear-shaped; stigma cup-shaped, lower margin strongly elongated,recurved, together with rostellum in outline oblong; viscidium not seen. Ovary 3-grooved, punctate, 0.6 cm long. Capsule not seen.
Distribution – Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Habitat and Ecology – Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 3350-3550 m. Flowering in March and September in the wild.
Notes - 1. Flowers white with black lip tip.
2. The epithet terrestris refers to terrestrial growth habit of the species.
3. Specimen observed: de Kock 56; HJ. Lam 1777