Glomera pinifolia (. Royen) J.M.H. Shaw, Orchid Rev. 124 (1314, Suppl):37 (2016)
Glossorhyncha pinifolia P.Royen., Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2:575 (1979)- Type: ANU (Walker) 5145 (holotype, L)
Growth form Epiphyte or terrestrial, erect, much branched, up to 50 cm high. Rhizome ca. 1-2 mm in diameter. Roots filiform, flexible, glabrous. Stem cylindrical, glabrous, proliferously leafed, completely covered by leaf sheaths. Leaf linear, needle-like, patent, coriaceous, glabrous, 3-nerved, with the nerves prominent above or on either side, margin sometimes strongly involute, transparent, irregularly crenulate mainly in apical part; apex obtuse; base narrowed; lamina 0.5-1.2 cm long, 0.07-0.2 cm wide; sheath tubular, many-ribbed, warty mainly on apical part; apex toothed, with bristled margin, bristles 0.05-0.1 cm long. Inflorescences terminal, one-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe narrowly ellipsoid, 7-nerved, midrib crested in apical part, slightly extended, apex obtuse, 0.5-0.8 cm long, 0.5 cm wide; floral bracts transparent, thin, oblong, 3-nerved, apex acute, 0.52 cm long, 0.50 cm wide. Flowers upright, slightly pendulous, glabrous. Median sepal narrowly elliptic, 3-nerved at base, 5-nerved in higher parts, midrib at tip slightly carinate and extended, apex obtuse, 0.46-0.8 cm long, 0.25 cm wide. Lateral sepals not enclosing the spur, free, falcate-ovate, glabrous, 3-5-nerved, midrib crested towards the tip and slightly extended, 0.61-0.65 cm long, 0.25-0.3 cm wide; mentum obliquely ovate, obtuse, 0.15-0.2 cm long, 0.1-0.15 cm wide. Petal narrowly elliptic, 3-5-nerved, midrib crested at the tip and slightly extended, apex subacute or obtuse, 0.60-0.85 cm long, 0.15-0.2 cm wide. Lip adnate to the base of the column, free part broadly ovate, slightly 3-lobed, 5-nerved, 0.2 cm long. 0.4 cm wide; epichile obtuse, thickened, with brown glands on apical part on either side; hypochile spurred; spur clavate, broadly grooved above, apex rounded, 0.3-0.5 cm long. Column slightly curved, 0.2 cm long, 0.15 cm wide; clinandrium crenulate-dentate; stelidia not seen. Anther not seen; pollinia not seen; stigma not seen; viscidium not seen. Ovary clavate, glabrous, 0.4 cm long. Capsule not seen.
Distribution – Papua New Guinea.
Habitat and Ecology – Epiphyte or terrestrial in upper montane forest of Mt. Wilhelm. Altitude 3506-3902 m. Flowering in May and June in the wild.
Notes - 1. Flowers pale yellow green.
2. The epithet pinifolia refers to the needle-like leaves of the species (pini- means pine and folia means leaf in Latin).
3. Specimen observed: ANU (Walker) 5145.