Glomera altigena (P.Royen) J.M.H. Shaw, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2:633 (1979)
Type: van Balgooy 628 (holotype L)
Growth form Terrestrial or epiphytic, erect.. Rhizome 2-3 mm in diameter, densely tufted, much branched, with drooping branches. Root filiform, flexible, glabrous, up to 8 cm long. Stem branched, cylindric, glabrous, proliferously leafed, internodes 0.4-3 cm long. Leaf linear, patent, glabrous, coriaceous, midrib and 4 lateral nerves prominent on either side; apex unequally 2-lobed, each lobe obtuse; lamina 0.9-2.3 cm long, 0.1-0.4 cm wide; sheath tight, tubular, warty mainly on the blade on the opposite side; apex toothed, with bristled margin, bristles 0.1-0.2 cm long, each sparsely warty. Inflorescences terminal, one-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe narrowly obovoid, transparent, glabrous, 7-nerved, sparsely warty mainly on the ribs, with brown dots, midrib crested, 1.2-1.5 cm long, 0.4-0.6 cm wide, apex subacute; floral bracts obovoid, thin, transparent, glabrous, 4-nerved, with brown dots, more or less warty, 1.5 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, apex subacute. Flower upright. Median sepal narrowly oblong-ovate, 3-nerved at base, 9-nerved in higher parts, 1.2-1.5 cm long, 0.20-0.35 cm wide; apex subacute. Lateral sepal falcate, 3-nerved at base, 8-nerved in higher parts, 1.4-1.7 cm long, 0.3 cm wide; apex obtuse, conoid-apiculate. Petals linear, 5-nerved, with silver dots, 1.4-1.5 cm long, 0.2-0.25 cm wide; apex obtuse. Lip ovate, adnate to the base of the column, 0.2-0.4 cm long, 0.3-0.35 cm wide; epichile 3-lobed, with brown glands on either side of the thickened median lobe, 5-6-nerved; hypochile spurred; spur cylindrical, glabrous, 1.2-1.3 cm long, slightly flattened, apex obtuse. Column stout, without column foot, 0.35 cm long, 0.2 cm wide; clinandrium crenulate-dentate. Anther not seen. Ovary oblong-conoid, curved, glabrous, 3-ribbed, each rib a double one, between the 3 double ribs a slightly less developed single rib is present, 1.3-1.8 cm long. Capsule brownish purple or purple, 2 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, 6-ribbed with 3 ribs much stronger developed.
Distribution – Papua New Guinea.
Habitat and Ecology – Terrestrial in upper montane forest in exposed positions on Imbuka Ridge. Altitude 3600 m. Flowering in January in the wild.
Notes - 1. Flowers flesh coloured.
2. The epithet altigena refers to the high altitude where the holotype was found (alte- means high and -gena means ‘originating from’ in Latin).
3. Specimen observed: L0061262.