Species Information - Plocoglottis lowii

Plocoglottis lowii Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. (1865) 434

Type: Low cult. (Low) s.n. (Borneo); Day cult. s.n. (holo W)

Synonyms:

• Plocoglottis porphyrophylla Ridl., Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 3 (1893) 368
  - Type: Ridley s.n. (Malay Peninsula, Pekan) (holo SING)
• Plocoglottis pubiflora Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 146
  - Type: Schlechter 14561 (holo B, lost)
• Plocoglottis atroviridis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 403
  - Type: Schlechter 19270 (holo B, lost)
• Plocoglottis lowii Rchb.f. var. papuana J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 12, 3 (1915) 197
  - Type: Gjellerup 1005 ['100'] (iso L)

Rhizome creeping, 0.2-0.4 cm diameter, internodes between shoots 5-7. Roots 0.2-0.3 cm diameter, rather thick, densely pubescent, not branching. Pseudobulbs 0.5-4.4 cm apart, 3-8 (-11) by 0.2-0.6 (-0.9) cm, subconical or cylindrical, internodes 1-3, 0.3-6.3 cm long; 1- or sometimes 2-leaved, the second leaf smaller. Sheaths 1-3, glabrous, sometimes pubescent. Leaves petiolate; sheath if present 2.7-4.3 cm long, petiole 1-4.4 cm long, channelled, blade 17-28.5 by 2.9-8.6 cm (index 2-5 (-7)), (linear-)lanceolate, sometimes oblong or elliptic, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous, with 5 prominent veins. Inflorescence 35-75.5 cm long, laxly 4-20-flowered; peduncle 8.8-42.6 cm, sparsely pubescent, internodes 1-5 (-6), 0.15-16 cm long; peduncle scales 0.4-4.1 cm long, obliquely tubular, sparsely pubescent, with 3-7 prominent veins; rachis 11.1-48.4 cm long, densely pubescent, internodes 4-30, 0.7-19.6 cm long; Floral bracts 0.7-1.5 by 0.3-0.6 (-0.9) cm, triangular, concave, patent, falcate apex acuminate, densely pubescent, rarely sparsely pubescent. Flowers up to 3 cm wide. Median sepal 0.9-1.72 by 0.32-0.6 cm, broadly oblong to lanceolate, concave, apex acute to acuminate, moderately pubescent, thin textured, with 3-5 distinct veins. Lateral sepals 0.8-1.5 by 0.33-0.6 cm, elliptic to obliquely obovate, falcate, base broadly cuneate, apex subacute or acute, pubescent, with 3-5 distinct veins. Petals 0.8-1.8 by 0.15-0.34 cm, linear-lanceolate, subfalcate, pubescent on abaxial side, fleshy or sometimes thin-textured, with distinct mid-vein, the two lateral veins indistinct, base broadly cuneate, glabrous, apex subacute to acute. Lip 0.59-0.86 by 0.3-0.77 cm, adnate to column at base, subquadrangular, with 3 distinct veins, base broadly cuneate, with two basal divergent adaxial triangular lamellae, in front of the lamellae with a triangular depression, with two swollen patches, obliquely obovate in outline, 1.2 mm from the base, extending to apex, lateral margins of lip membranous, margin in lower half somewhat crispate-undulate, in upper half deeply laciniate-fimbriate, with two horn-like projections near apical margin, apex broadly truncate, in the middle with a 2 cm long, recurved, narrowly lanceolate-triangular, acute or acuminate acumen. Column 0.6-0.8 (-1.2) by 0.1-0.34 (-0.6) cm, clavate, somewhat dorsally pubescent. Anther 0.16-0.24 by 0.14-0.3 cm, subdeltoid-cordate in outline, apical margin serrulate, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous or somewhat pubescent, keel short or sometimes long. Stigma subobcordate to orbicular, rostellum truncate. Pollinia 0.1 by 0.08-0.1 cm, suborbicular to broadly ovate in lateral view, caudicle 0.18-0.2 cm. Ovary with pedicel 1-2 by 0.21 cm, clavate, densely pubescent. 3-3.5 by 0.4-0.6 cm, cylindrical. Seeds 0.08-0.12 cm long. (After Eang Hourt, unpublished manuscript 2004)

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