Species Information - Grammatophyllum stapeliiflorum

Grammatophyllum stapeliiflorum (Teijsm. & Binn.) J.J.Sm., Orchid. Java (1905) 487 ('stapeliaeflorum')

Type: Type: Bogor cult. (Teijsmann?) s.n. (Java, Pantjar near Bogor) (holo BO)

Synonyms:

• Cymbidium stapeliiflorum Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indië 24 (1862) 319 ('stapeliaeflorum')
• Grammangis stapeliiflorum (Teijsm. & Binn.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45, Beibl. 104 (1911) 53
• Sadokum stapeliiflorum (Teijsm. & Binn.) D.A.Tiu & Cootes, Austral. Orch. Rev. 72, 6 (2007) 40
• Cymbidium huttonii Hook.f., Bot. Mag. 93 (1867) t. 5676
  - Type: Veitch cult. (Hutton) s.n. (Java) (holo K?)
• Grammangis huttonii (Hook.f.) Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 3 (1882) 538
• Cymbidium stephensii Ridl., J. Bot. 38 (1900) 71
  - Type: Stephens s.n. (Malay Peninsula, Perak)

Epiphyte. Rhizome short, main roots with stiff, erect secondary catch-roots. Pseudobulbs closely spaced, 2-3-leaved, oblongoid-ovoid, 14 by 6 cm, longitudinally grooved, consisting of one internode. Leaf sheaths very short. Leaves lanceolate, 35 by 8 cm, obtusely keeled below, base petiolate-narrowed, conduplicate, apex acute. Inflorescences arising from the base of the pseudobulb, racemose, pendulous, 30 cm long; peduncle 13 cm long, 0.5 cm diam., peduncle-scales few, very short; rachis slightly flexuose, laxly c. 12-flowered. Floral bracts triangular, 0.6 cm long, fleshy, concave, apex acute. Pedicel 1.3 cm long, curved upwards; ovary 1.3 cm long, 6-grooved. Flowers 4 cm across, fleshy, smelling faintly of linseed oil. Median sepal oblong, broader at the base, 4 by 2.2 cm, apex apiculate. Lateral sepals falcate, 2.8 by 1.6 cm. Petals erect, lanceolate, subfalcate, 3 by 1 cm, apex somewhat wavy. Lip 3-lobed, 2.2 by 2.5 cm, mobile at the base, with three short, simple, fleshy keels; lateral lobes erect, ovate-triangular, obtuse; mid-lobe rounded 5-angular, obtuse, convex, with a broad longitudinal groove, somewhat wavy, warty, 0.95 by 1.1 cm. Column slender, strongly curved, 2.1 cm long, rostellum acute, stigma transversely elliptic; column-foot short, broad, strongly concave. Anther cucullate, obtuse, with a longitudinal groove. Pollinia two, roundish, attached to two projections of the stipe. (After Smith, 1905).

Note: Easily distinguished from the other two species of Grammatophyllum in New Guinea by the pendulous inflorescence. The flowers do resemble some species of Stapelia in their colour pattern, but they are not at all foul smelling as in that genus.

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