Orchids of New Guinea

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Crepidium raciborskii

Crepidium raciborskii (Szlach., & Marg.) Schuit. & de Vogel Malesian Orchid J. 9 (2011) 6

Type: van Royen & Sleumer 7306 (holo L)

Synonyms:

Pseudoliparis raciborskii Szlach. & Marg., Adansonia 21 (1999) 279

Plants 9—35 cm tall. Rhizome several cm long; nodes covered by widely funnel-shaped scales. Roots from the nodes of rhizome and stem base. Leafy stem erect or ascending, fusiform, 2.4—4.8 by up to 0.1 cm. Leaves 4—7; petiole channeled, 0.2—1.2 by 0.3—0.5 cm when spread; leaf sheath 0.1—0.2 by 0.4—0.7 cm; leaf blade slightly falcate, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2.1—9.4 by 0.4—1.1 cm; apex acute to shortly apiculate; usually 3- nerved. Inflorescence erect, 7.3—28.5 cm long; peduncle 4—9.5 cm long; raceme 3.3—19 cm tall, densely 60—100-flowered. Sterile bracts reflexed, usually 0.15—1 by 0.12—0.23 cm. Floral bracts deflexed, linear-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, 0.2—1 by 0.07—0.1 cm; apex acute; 1-nerved. Pedicel and ovary sinuate, 2—2.3 mm long. Flowers 0.58—0.68 cm in diam. Median sepal oblong ovate to elliptic-ovate, 0.31—0.36 by 0.16—0.21 cm; apex subacute Lateral sepals oblique, ovate, acute to subacute, 0.3—0.34 by 0.18—0.25 cm. Petals oblique, ovate-trullate to elliptic-rhombic, 0.29—0.32 by 0.15—0.2 cm; apex acute to subapiculate; 1-veined. Lip ovate to sagittate in outline, 0.3—0.38 by 0.23—0.28 cm; mid-lobe with obtuse to apiculate apex, separated from the lateral lobes by a shallow indentation; lateral lobes convergent or rarely divergent, short, falcate triangular, 0.04-0.06 by 0.07—0.12 cm, with obtuse apex; central part of lip without callus. Column slightly recurved, 0.17—0.2 by 0.07—0.12 cm; minutely and rather sparsely papillose; staminodes only slightly longer than anther, oblong, 0.07—0.1 by 0.03—0.04 cm, with obtuse to truncate apex; anther 0.04—0.06 by 0.02—0.03 cm. Fruit obovate, 0.4—0.6 by 0.2—0.38 cm.
(after Margonska 2003)

Colours:

Leaf sheath green to flavescent; blade green above, pale green beneath. Inflorescence pale green. Floral bracts, pedicel and ovary pale green. Flowers greenish brown, brownish yellow to yellowish; column yellowish green; staminodes darker and intensively green; anther pale yellow. Fruit fawn to brownish.
(after Margonska 2003)

Habitat:

Terrestrial in lowland ? and hill forest. Altitude 100 ? to 600 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia): Manokwari Regency; Papua New Guinea: Milne Bay Province (but see notes below);see map

Cultivation:

Warm growing terrestrial, keep in shaded position.

Flowering time in the wild:

? April, November.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Malaxideae
Genus Crepidium
Section Pseudoliparis
Species Crepidium raciborskii

Notes:

Pseudoliparis raciborskii is easily distinguished by e.g. the rather small size of plants, falcately lanceolate leaves, and relatively elongate inflorescence.

Szlachetko & Margonska cited two collections when they described Pseudoliparis raciborskii: van Royen & Sleumer 7306 (holotype) from the Vogelkop Peninsula in the extreme west of New Guinea, and Brass 25567 (paratype) from Normanby Island in the extreme east of New Guinea. These localities are about 2100 km apart. The protologue description is based on both collections. Even a cursory glance at the two sheets confirms the suspicion that almost certainly two different species are involved: the holotype specimen is overall much smaller, with smaller flowers, and has fruits with pedicels about as long as the capsule, whereas the paratype has fruits with pedicels less than half as long as the capsule. Considering the paucity of the material we did not analyse the very few remaining flowers. Unfortunately, Szlachetko & Margonska failed to preserve the material they used for their analysis.