Glomera rhombea J.J.Sm.

Glomera rhombea  J.J.Sm.,Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 2(2):5 (1911)- Type :  de Kock 34 (holotype, probably BO)

Growth form Terrestrial. Rhizome not seen. Roots filiform, long, flexible, glabrous. Stem close together, slender, sparsely branched, 2.5 cm long or longer, 0.05 cm in diameter, completely covered by leaf sheaths, internodes 0.14-0.75 cm long. Leaf ovate to oblong-ovate, patent, above on either side with a median groove longitudinally convex, transversely rugulose, convex below, carnose; apex unequally 2-lobed, both lobes obtuse; base half twisted; lamina 0.5-0.73 cm long, 0.18-0.23 cm wide; sheath surpassing the internodes, tubular, angular, warty; apex toothed, with bristled margin, bristles brownish. Inflorescences terminal, one-flowered, when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe clasping the ovary, cucullate, tubular, obtusely apiculate, membranous, 0.57 cm long; floral bracts same as spathe, 0.47 cm long. Flowers upright, glabrous, sepals and petals with recurved apex, 1.15 cm in diameter. Median sepal ovate, apex acute, margin at apex incurved, convex, 3-nerved, 1 cm long, 0.45 cm wide. Lateral sepals at base long fused to near the apex of the spur, clasping the whole spur, front margin not adhering, obliquely oblong-ovate, apex conduplicate, apiculate, 3-nerved at base, 0.9 cm long, 0.43 cm wide, fused part 0.23 cm long, strongly concave. Petal obliquely broadly rhombic, apex obtuse, convex, 3-nerved at base, 0.9 cm long, 0.56 cm wide. Lip at base adnate to the column, porrect, forming right angle with spur, ovate, 0.33 cm long, 0.28 cm wide, to the apex of ovary 0.35 cm long; epichile indistinctly 3-lobed, lateral lobes erect, shortly broadly rounded, mid lobe porrect, separated from lateral lobes by broadly obtuse angle, triangular, obtuse, inside with a small longitudinal rib, below on either side of the groove longitudinally convex, 0.13 cm long, at base 0.18 cm wide; hypochile with transverse thickening, spurred; spur making acute angle with ovary, laterally compressed, obliquely obovate, to the apex of ovary 0.24 cm long, apex 0.17 cm high. Column 0.2 cm long; clinandrium minutely denticulate, filament tooth-like; stelidia elongate, slightly surpassing the anther and the rostellum, linear, falcate. Anther cucullate, apex elongated, oblong-ovate, apex 2-lobed, in basal part conical-thickened, at back concave, 0.14 cm long; rostellum bifid, lobes triangular; stigma obliquely funnel-shaped, basa part margin elongated, recurved, cucullate-incurved; pollinia 4, compressed, oblong-elliptic; viscidium absent. Ovary cylindrical, 3-grooved, glabrous,0.34 cm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution – Indonesia

Habitat and Ecology - Terrestrial in upper montane forest. Altitude 1250-1900 m. Flowering in January, March and December in the wild.

Notes -  1. Flowers white with red lip tip.

2. The epithet rhombea refers to the rhombic (=parallelogram-like) shape of the petals.

3. Specimen observed de Kock 34.

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