Glomera carolinensis L.O. Williams., Bot. Mus. Leaf. 7:142- Type: Takamatsu 988 (holotype, BISH; isotype AMES)
Growth form Epiphytic, slender, up to 20 cm high. Rhizome ca. 1-1.5 mm in diameter. Roots filiform, long, glabrous, flexible, up to 10 cm long. Stem flattened, entirely covered by sheaths, internodes 1.5-2 cm long. Leaf linear to linear-lanceolate, erect, acute; apex unequally 2-lobed, slightly oblique; lamina 3.5-7.5 cm long, 4-8 mm wide; sheaths tubular, warty, especially above, 1.3-2 cm long; apex toothed, with glabrous margin. Inflorescences terminal, 6-flowered, sub capitate, subtended when young enveloped by a spathe. Spathe scarious, triangular; floral bracts smaller, lanceolate. Flowers upright, glabrous. Median sepal linear-oblong, 3-nerved at base, 5-nerved in the upper part, 6 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, apex obtuse or acutish. Lateral sepals oblong, 3-nerved, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide; base connate except 1 mm at the tips, forming strongly saccate mentum. Petal oblanceolate, 3-nerved, 6 mm long, 1.7 mm wide, broad toward the tip, apex obtuse, slightly oblique. Lip broadly ovate, carinate, 1.5 mm long, 1.2 mm wide; epichile obtuse; hypochile spurred; spur oblong, 2 mm long, 1.3 mm wide. Column adnate to the lip, 1.5 mm long, with column foot. Anther 1 mm long, 1 mm wide; pollinia not seen. Ovary not seen. Capsule not seen.
Distribution – Caroline Islands, Republic of Kiribati
Habitat and Ecology – Epiphyte in open montane forest. Altitude 100 m. Flowering in February in the wild.
Notes - 1. Flowers colors not described.
2. The epithet carolinensis refers to the region where the type specimen was collected: the Caroline islands.
3. This species is most closely allied to G. bambusifolia, but can be distinghuised by the comparatively narrower perianth parts and differently shaped spur and blade of the lip. This species is also smaller (not exceeding 20 cm in height) as compared to G. bambusifolia that can reach up to 65 cm high. This species is the only species of the genus Glomera that has been reported from Micronesia.
4. Specimen observed BO 0069264.