Orchids of New Guinea

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Aeridostachya robusta

Aeridostachya robusta (Blume) Brieger in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 714

Type: Eria robusta (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 69

Synonyms:

Dendrolirium robustum Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 347
- Type: Blume s.n. (Buitenzorg Prov.); (Tjanjor Prov.) (syn L; sheeth 902, 322-2160, no loc.)
Pinalia robusta (Blume) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 679
Eria aeridostachya Rchb.f. ex Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3 (1859) 48
- Type: Loddiges cult. 229 (Java, Batavia) (holo K)
Pinalia aeridostachya (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 679
Eria ferruginea Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indië 24 (1862) 312 (non Lindl.)
- Type: Bogor cult. (Teijsmann?) s.n. (Mt. Salak)
Eria brunea Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32 (1896) 297
- Type: Curtis s.n. (Perak, Hermitage Hill) (holo SING?)
Eria lorifolia Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32 (1896) 296
- Type: Ridley s.n. (Kedah, Kedah Peak) (holo SING?)
Eria falcata J.J.Sm., Orchid. Java (1905) 404
- Type: J.J. Smith s.n. (Djampang Tengah, Njalindoeng); Borneo
Eria purpureocentrum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 5 (1922) 75
- Type: Jacobson cult. 998; 999; Bogor cult. (Jacobson) s.n.; Groeneveldt cult. 1956; B5347; iso L)
Aeridostachya purpureocentrum (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 436
Eria linearifolia Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 4 (1924) 97 (non Ames)
- Type: Wray s.n. (Perak, Mt. Batu Putih)

Epiphyte. Pseudobulbs fusiform-cylindrical, 4-6 by 1.5 cm, covered by 4-8 acute, distichous cataphylls, 2- to 3-leaved at apex. Leaves erect, coriaceous, oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, acute or obtuse, 16-37.5 by 2.3-6 cm, tapering into a stout or slender petiole at base. Inflorescence lateral, emerging from the axil of a sheath, erect, 16-30 cm long, densely many-flowered on a cylindrical rachis. Flowers covered with stellate hairs. Pedicel and ovary 0.6 cm long, covered with stellate hairs. Median sepal ovate, subacute, concave, 0.3 by 0.2 cm. Lateral sepals oblong-elliptic, oblique, obtuse, 0.65 by 0.2 cm; mentum cylindrical-rounded, 0.3-0.4 cm long. Petals linear, obtuse, 0.25 by 0.1 cm. Lip concave, oblong, very obscurely 3-lobed, 0.45 by 0.16 cm, reflexed at apex, ecallose. Column 0.1 cm long, the column-foot 0.3-0.4 cm long. (After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).

Colours:

Flowers cream-coloured with brown hairs.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 0-1400 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea), Thailand, India, Southeast Asia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Intermediate growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

Not known

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Podochileae
Subtribe Eriinae
Genus Aeridostachya
Species Aeridostachya robusta

Literature:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1911) fig. 306, as Eria falcata J.J.Sm.
Smith, J.J., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sr. 2, 9 (1913) 72, as Eria aeridostachya Rchb.f. ex Lindl.
Smith, J.J., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sr. 2, 9 (1913) 72, as Eria falcata J.J.Sm.
Smith, J.J., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, Suppl. 2 (1930) t. 45, fig. II, as Eria purpureocentrum J.J.Sm.
Lewis, B.A. & P.J. Cribb, Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville (1991) 114, fig. 24L-M
O'Byrne, P., Lowland Orchid. Papua New Guinea (1994) 108, fig.