Species Information - Trichotosia brachybotrya

Trichotosia brachybotrya (Schltr.) W.Kittr., Bot. Mus. Leafl. 30 (1984, publ. 1985) 98

Type:

Synonyms:

• Eria brachybotrya Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 16 (1919) 115
  - Type: Kempter s.n. (Kaiser Wilhelmsland, area behind Vanimo) (holo B, lost)

Basionym: Eria brachybotrya

Epiphytic, probably pendent, certainly more than 35 cm long. Stems unbranched, many-leaved, slightly flexuose, entirely covered with the striate, tightly clasping, at first finely tomentose leaf-sheaths, c. 0.3 cm diam. Leaves erect-patent, narrowly ligulate, strongly obliquely and unequally bilobulate, (the shorter lobule hardly prominent, the longer lobule elongated subobtuse), towards the base slightly narrowed, almost glabrous above, very shortly finely tomentose below, 9-11 cm long, near the middle 0.7-1.1 cm wide. Inflorescences short, subsessile, oblongoid, rather densely 5-8-flowered, to 2 cm long, densely villose or stiff-hairy. Floral bracts recurved, broadly elliptic or suborbicular, a little shorter than the flowers. Flowers slightly recurved. Sepals oblong, obtuse, outside densely villose, 0.4 cm long. Lateral sepals oblique, falcate, at the base along the front margins dilated; mentum semiglobose, short. Petals obliquely oblong, obtuse, somewhat narrowed towards the base, with long-ciliate margins, a little shorter than the sepals and narrower. Lip slightly curved, 0.4 cm long, between the tips of the lateral lobes 0.25 cm wide, above the semiglobose-concave base broadly cuneate-obovate, 3-lobed above the middle, with two parallel keels from the base of the lip to the base of the mid-lobe, decurrent; lateral lobes semi-oblong, obtuse, short; mid-lobe transversely oblong, in front retuse, apiculate, 0.35 cm wide. Column glabrous, foot short. Ovary obconical, very short, densely stiff hairy. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)

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