Species Information - Phreatia muscicola

Phreatia muscicola P.Royen, Alp. Fl. New Guinea 2 (1979) 767, fig. 264

Type: Brass 10678 (holo L)

Synonyms:

Terrestrial, up to 45 cm high herb with creeping, branched rhizome. Rhizomes flexuose, light yellow, glabrous, covered with membranous, dirty white, 8-15 mm long sheaths. Pseudobulbs narrowly cylindrical, 8-10 by 1.5 mm, ribbed, glabrous, 1-leaved. Leaves erect, coriaceous, glabrous, spathulate-lanceolate, 2.84.5 by 0.3-0.5 cm, unequally 2-lobed at tip, each lobe obtuse, apiculate between the lobes by the extended midrib, the latter grooved above, prominent below, lateral nerves a few on either side of midrib, not visible above, more distinct below, margin revolute, slightly scarious. Inflorescences axillary, arising from base of pseudobulbs, up to 45 cm long, erect, simple. Peduncle glabrous, stout, 37-41 cm long, at base with 10-14 laxly appressed, 6-10 mm long, obliquely truncate, acute or caudate bracts, lower ones sometimes with a short limb, upper ones shorter and gradually passing into the floral bracts. Rachis glabrous, 4-8 cm long, subflexuose, 3-ribbed. Floral bracts glabrous, ovate, boat-shaped, 3 mm long, caudate-acuminate, 1-nerved. Pedicels glabrous, 2-3 mm long, trigonous. Ovary glabrous but wings warty, obliquely clavate, 2.5-3 mm long, trigonous and 3-winged. Flowers glabrous. Median sepal ovate, 3 by 1.5 mm, obtuse, 1-nerved. Lateral sepals obliquely broadly ovate-triangular, 3 by 2.5 mm, apiculate, 1-nerved. Lateral petals obliquely elliptic or ovate-quadrangular, 2 by 1 mm, obtuse or apiculate. Lip hammer-shaped, 2.5 by 1.5 mm, lateral margins curved upwards, rounded at tip, clawed, at base with an auricle on either side, on inside with one ellipsoid gland on either side of base, 3-nerved. Column slender, curved, 1 mm long. Anther cucullate-ovoid, 1 by 1. by 0.5 mm, acutish, base cordate, connective prominent. Pollinia 8, ellipsoid-globose, 0.2 mm long. Stipe 0.5 mm long. Viscid gland elliptic, minute. Column-foot slender, 1.2 mm long, flattened on inside. Capsule not seen.
(After van Royen 1979)

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