Next Species: Appendicula ancosiphila


Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 343

Type: Schlechter 18794 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, K, L)

Epiphyte or almost terrestrial on tree-trunks, up to 40 cm high; rhizome ascending, elongated or short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous; stems unbranched or sparsely branched, thinly terete, densely leafy, entirely covered by the closely appressed leaf-sheaths, up to 0.3 cm diameter; leaves erect-patent, linear or linear-ligulate, obliquely finely mucronate, glabrous, 2.5-4 cm long, near the middle 0.2-0.5 cm wide. Inflorescences terminal, somewhat patent, laxly 4-9-flowered, up to 3.5 cm long; bracts rhombic-ovate, acuminate, margins minutely dentate-lacerate, more than twice as long as the ovary. Flowers glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, 0.43 cm long. Lateral sepals strongly oblique, at the base along the front margins lobed-dilated, mentum oblongoid, broadly obtuse, 0.35 cm long. Petals obliquely oblong, truncate-broadly obtuse, towards the base somewhat dilated, 0.38 cm long. Lip obovate-spathulate, apex obtusely gibbose-apiculate, 0.6 cm long, above the middle 0.3 cm wide, in the basal third with a transverse, clawed appendage pointing towards the base of the lip and which on either side projects beyond the margin of the lip. Column short, rostellum short, erect, bidentate. Anther umbonate, very broadly, ovate, in front tridentate, glabrous; pollinia 6, falcate-oblique, unequal-sized, viscidium small, rounded. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous, 0.4 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)


Flower white with a rose-red spot on the apices of the sepals and petals.

Epiphyte in upper montane forest in shaded positions. Altitude 1750-2500 m.

Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map

distribution in New Guinea

Cool growing epiphyte, keep in shade.

January, May, July, September.

  • Family Orchidaceae
  • Subfamily Epidendroideae
  • Tribe Podochileae
  • Subtribe Podochilinae
  • Genus Appendicula
  • Section Chaunodesme
  • Species Appendicula aberrans
  • Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 122, fig. 460

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Appendicula aberrans

overview picture

Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans Schltr., drawing J.J. Smith, from Schlechter 18794

Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans Schltr., from Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 122, fig. 460

Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans Schltr., detail of herbarium sheet, Schlechter 18794, isotype specimen (L)

Appendicula aberrans

Appendicula aberrans Schltr., herbarium sheet, Schlechter 18794, isotype specimen (L)