Orchids of New Guinea

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Ceratostylis subulata

Ceratostylis subulata Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 306

Type: Blume s.n. (Mt. Salak); (Pantjar); s.n. (syn L)

Synonyms:

Appendicula teres Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 3 (1851) 359; Icon. Pl. Asiat. pl. 332
- Type: Griffith s.n. (19-I-1836, Upper Assam, Versus, Negrigam)
Ceratostylis teres (Griff.) Rchb.f., Bonplandia 2 (1854) 89
Ceratostylis cepula Rchb.f., Bonplandia 5 (1857) 53
- Type: Zollinger 3185
Ceratostylis malaccensis Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5 (1890) 825; Hooker's Icon. Pl. 21 (1892) t. 2098
- Type: Scortechini 562 (Perak) (iso L); Wray (Perak, Batang Padung); Griffith (Kew Distr. 5213)

An epiphytic herb. Stems closely tufted, 7-15 cm long, variable in thickness from wiry to slender, 0.03-0.15 cm in diameter, sometimes finely pubescent. Leaf solitary, almost terete, broadly grooved on one side, 3-8 by 0.1-0.25 cm, sometimes finely pubescent. Inflorescences terminal, 1-3. Floral bracts papery, lanceolate, 0.3-0.4 cm long. Flowers finely pubescent. Pedicel and ovary pubescent, 0.3 cm long. Median sepal ovate, 0.3 by 0.1 cm, recurved at tip. Lateral sepals ovate, 0.35 by 0.1 cm, recurved at tips and fused at base to form a finely hairy, 0.1 cm long, globose mentum. Petals unguiculate, acute, 0.2 by 0.08 cm. Lip narrow at the base, narrowly ovate, blunt, 0.35 by 0.15 cm at fleshy apex, the disc with 3 obscure calli at base, the spur globose, 0.1 cm long. Column 0.1 cm long, with a short column-foot, 0.075 cm long. (After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).

Note: Probably much more common in New Guinea than the paucity of confirmed records suggest. Some species now believed to be endemic to New Guinea may turn out to be synonyms of Ceratostylis subulata.

Colours:

Stems dark green. Flowers dull red-purple or pale purple to translucent cream colour with a pinkish white mentum and a yellow lip.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland and montane forest. Altitude 440-2621 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, ?Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Moluccas, New Guinea, The Philippines), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Sikkim to Hainan, Nicobar Isl., Solomon Is., Vanuatu.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm to cool growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

March.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Podochileae
Subtribe Eriinae
Genus Ceratostylis
Section Ceratostylis/Juncorchis
Species Ceratostylis subulata

Literature:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 299
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1910) fig. 229
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1910) fig. 230
Lewis, B.A. & P.J. Cribb, Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville (1991) 125, fig. 28N-Y, pl. 3D