Glomera tubisepala (P.Royen) J.M.H. Shaw

Glomera tubisepala  (P.Royen) J.M.H. Shaw,

Glossorhyncha tubisepala P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2:620 (1979) – Type: Brass & Collins 31305 (holotype, L, US)


Growth form Epiphyte,  slender, pendulous, up to 50 cm long. Rhizome 2-3 mm in diameter. Root filiform, flexible, glabrous. Stem branched, cylindric, glabrous, internodes 0.2-2.5 cm long. Leaf linear, coriaceous, patent-spreading, glabrous, 6-8-nerved, midrib grooved above, prominent below, lateral nerve 3 on either side of midrib, prominent on underside only, with brown spot on both side; apex unequally 2-lobed, longer lobe truncate or rounded, shorter one acute; base ovate; lamina 0.9-2.2 cm long, 0.1-0.2 cm wide; sheath tight, tubular, scattered warty mainly along ribs, many-ribbed; apex toothed, with bristled margin, bristle 0.1-0.25 cm long, each sparsely warty. Inflorescences terminal, one-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe narrowly obovoid-cylindrical, transparent, sparsely warty mainly on the ribs, mainly near the midrib, with brown dots, 1.5-1.65 cm long, 0.3 cm wide, 7-nerved, ribs more or less crested, midrib stronger towards tip, apex obtuse; floral bracts narrowly obovoid-cylindrical, thin, transparent, with brown dots, 1.35-1.6 cm long, 0.2-0.50 cm wide, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Flower up-side-down, glabrous. Median sepal linear, glabrous, 1.5-1.65 cm long, 0.3 cm wide, 3-nerved at base, 5-nerved in higher parts; apex obtuse, conoid-apiculate. Lateral sepal falcate, linear, 3-nerved at base, 5-nerved in higher parts, 1.7-1.8 cm long, 0.3 cm wide; apex obtuse, conoid-acuminate; base connate, enclosed the base of spur, widened. Petals linear, 3-nerved at base, 5-nerved in higher parts, glabrous, 1.3-1.4 cm long, 0.2 cm wide; apex obtuse. Lip deltoid, adnate to the base of the column, 0.3 cm long, 0.25-0.3 cm wide; epichile obtuse, with brown glands on either sides of tip, thickened, 5-nerved; hypochile spurred; spur clavate, glabrous, 1.3 cm long, shallowly and broadly grooved above, apex obtuse. Column slender, slightly curved, without column foot, 0.15-0.3 cm long, 0.2 cm wide; clinandrium dentate-crenulate. Anther broadly ellipsoid-cucullate, apex retuse, base 2-lobed, basal part of connective umbonate, 0.1 cm long, 0.08 cm wide; pollinia not seen. Ovary narrowly clavate, glabrous, punctate, 3-ribbed, 1.3-1.5 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution – Papua New Guinea.

Habitat and Ecology – Epiphyte in upper montane forest of Mount Michael.  Altitude 3100-3290 m. Flowering time not known.

Notes - 1. Flowers salmon pink.

 2. The epithet tubisepala refers to the tube-shaped  lateral sepal enveloping the base of the spur.

3. Specimen observed: L0061282.

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