Species Information - Trichotosia thomsenii

Trichotosia thomsenii (J.J.Sm.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26 (1971) 180

Type:

Synonyms:

• Eria thomsenii J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 14 (1929) 391, pl. 57, fig. 47
  - Type: Thomsen 878 (holo L)

Basionym: Eria thomsenii

Stems closely spaced, stout, elongated, slightly flexuose, in cross-section elliptic, appressed hairy, more than 35 cm long. Leaves patent, narrowly obliquely lanceolate, at the apex long and strongly obliquely narrowed, the longer half extended for 0.5-0.6 cm, narrowly obtuse, mid-rib grooved above, below especially towards the apex prominent, on either side of the mid-rib convex above, mature leaf glabrous, the young ones on either side and along the margins sparsely appressed hairy, fleshy, to 13.5 by 2.2 cm, the upper and the basal leaves smaller; sheaths tubular, as long as the internodes or a little longer, initially somewhat appressed hairy, later more or less glabrous. Inflorescences arising from the nodes, even in the basal art of the stem, frequently perforating two sheaths, laxly several-flowered, turned to all sides, patently hairy; peduncle 1.2 cm long, with a few small bract-like with scales; rachis 4.7 cm long. Floral bracts orbicular-ovate, shortly conical-acuminate, strongly concave, dorsally hairy, to 0.95 cm long, slightly more than 0.8 cm wide, the upper ones smaller. Flowers c. 9, fleshy, 1.65 cm wide. Sepals dorsally long erect-patent hairy. Median sepal recurved, oblong, obtuse, dorsally near the apex with a conical, obtuse apicule, convex, inside in the basal part sparsely appressed hairy, 5-nerved, 0.95 by 0.35 cm. Lateral sepals with a short obliquely oblong, concave lobule decurrent on the column-foot, with the front margins at the base divergent, widely patent, obliquely triangular, slightly falcate, at the apex narrowed, obtuse, dorsally near the apex extended into a conical apicule, inside sparsely pilose, 6-nerved, 0.85 cm long, along the front margin about 1 cm long, at the base slightly more than 0.7 cm wide; mentum short, making an acute angle with the ovary, conical, with the apex slightly incurved, obtuse, dorsally convex, 0.44 cm long. Petals at the apex slightly recurved and convex, obliquely lanceolate, somewhat dilated towards the apex, obtuse, glabrous, 3-nerved, 0.85 cm long, almost 0.2 cm wide. Lip parallel to and surpassing the column, slightly recurved, concave, 3-lobed, inside, except for the mid-lobe and the margins of the lateral lobes, puberulous, underneath puberulous-papillose, 3-keeled, the outer keels terminating below the mid-lobe, vanishing towards the base of the lip, the median keel short, situated between the apices of the lateral keels, somewhat dilated on the base of the mid-lobe; lip underneath longitudinally grooved, 3-nerved, with the outer nerves branched, when flattened spathulate, slightly more than 1 cm long, to the tips of the lateral lobes 0.8 cm long, 0.6 cm wide across the lateral lobes, from the oblong claw dilated into a transversely elliptic-quadrangular mesochile; lateral lobes short, in front not produced, obtuse to rounded; mid-lobe somewhat recurved, short, broad, narrowly transversely oblong, slightly wavy-crenulate, very shortly, and underneath scarcely, papillose, when flattened slightly more than 0.2 cm long, 0.65 cm wide. Column almost straight, somewhat dorsally flattened, dilated towards the stigma, 0.5 cm long, dorsally convex with a longitudinal band of erect-patent hairs, in front concave with an inconspicuous and papillose longitudinal rib, in the apical part with long papillose margins; clinandrium deeply concave, suborbicular, margins more or less denticulate to lobulate; rostellum recurved; stigma transversely rhombic-obreniform; column-foot making an acute angle with the ovary, making an obtuse angle with the column, 0.43 long, straight, only at the apex slightly incurved, linear, with erect margins, channelled, at the apex dilated and shortly free from the lateral sepals, truncate. Anther cucullate, 0.15 cm wide, with a conspicuous, almost semiglobose-swollen connective and an obtuse, minutely verrucose, longitudinal rib; pollinia laterally flattened, obliquely obovate to obliquely obtusely triangular. Ovary short, broadly obliquely obconical, long erect-patent hairy, 0.6 cm long. (After Smith, 1929)

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