Species Information - Robiquetia brassii

Robiquetia brassii Ormerod, Austrobaileya 7 (2005) 199, fig. 9 & 10

Type: Brass 11716 (holo BRI; iso AMES, L).

Synonyms:

Epiphytic herb. Stem elongate, leafy, at least 15-24 by 0.5-0.85 cm but 1.3-2 cm wide across the top of the sheaths. Roots terete, elongate, at least 27 by 0.3-0.4 cm. Leaves 3-7 or more, oblong to ligulate, c. 6-23 by 2.1-3.6 cm, thickly coriaceous; sheaths obliquely truncate opposite leaf lamina, 1.5-4.4 cm long; apex emarginate to obliquely truncate, lobes obtuse to truncate. Inflorescences 13.5-30 by 0.4 cm; peduncle 11-19 cm long; peduncle-scales 3, scattered, tubular, clasping, 0.7-1.35 cm long, with acute apex; rachis 2.5-11 cm long, densely 15- to many-flowered; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 0.5-1 by 0.2-0.3 cm, with acute apex. Flowers resupinate, fleshy; pedicel and ovary laxly covered in short scales, cylindrical to weakly clavate, 0.55-0.6 cm long. Median sepal obovate-elliptic concave, 0.45-0.6 by 0.25-0.35 cm; apex obtuse; 3-nerved; outside sparsely covered in short scales. Lateral sepals broadly oblique-elliptic, 0.4-0.6 by 0.28-0.4 cm; apex obtuse;outside sparsely covered in short scales. Petals obovate-elliptic, 0.4-0.55 by 0.3-0.4 cm; apex obtuse, 1-2-nerved. Lip 3-lobed, spurred, 4-5 by 5-6.5 mm; base connate to ventral sides of the column for c. 0.1 cm; hypochile with broadly rounded lateral lobes 0.2-0.35 by 0.2-0.2.5 cm, each inside at front with a fleshy callosity c. 0.1 cm long, between lateral lobes with a low short median keel terminating at the epichile base; epichile fleshy, ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, with subacute apex; spur conical-cylindrical, straight to gently geniculate, 0.5-1 cm long, with acute to obtuse apex. Column short, stout, hamate, c. 0.2 by 0.15-0.25 cm.
(after Ormerod 2005)

Note: Differs from the similar Robiquetia hamata and Robiquetia camptocentrum in the solid, fleshy, entire lip epichile.

---