Orchids of New Guinea

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Bulbophyllum macranthum

Bulbophyllum macranthum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1844) t. 13

Type: Loddiges cult. s.n. (Singapore) (holo lost?; lecto

Synonyms:

Sarcopodium macranthum (Lindl.) Lindl., Paxton's Fl. Gard. 1 (1850-51) 155
Phyllorchis macrantha (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 677
Carparomorchis macrantha (Lindl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 499
Sarcopodium purpureum Rchb.f., Bonplandia 4 (1856) 330
- Type: Stange cult. (Schiller) s.n. (Java); Otto cult. (Schiller) s.n. (Java)
Bulbophyllum purpureum, (Rchb.f.) Nães in Blanco Fl. Filip., ed. 3, Nov. App. (1882) 234 (non Thw.)
Bulbophyllum cochinchinense Gagnep., Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris), sér. 2, 22 (1950) 400
- Type: Poilane 23628 (Indochina); Muller 106, 111 (syn P)

Rhizome 3-6 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs 4-12 cm long, bract fibres thick, persistent. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 1-4 by 0.7-1.5 cm. Petiole 1.5-4.5 cm. Leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 11-28 by 2.5-6.6 cm, index (length/width) 2.8-6.4; rounded to obtuse. Flowers widely opening. Median sepal about reflexed, elliptic to (ob-)ovate, 16-33 by 6-12 mm, index 2.3-4; acute to acuminate, base narrowly attached. Lateral sepals free, porrect but converging and (almost) touching towards the tip, ovate to triangular, 15-32 by 6-12 mm, index 2-3.5, base widely attached; otherwise as the median sepal. Petals spreading to reflexed, elliptic to (ob-)ovate, 13-29 by 4-8 mm, index 1.9-5.2; acute to acuminate, base narrowly attached. Lip recurved c. half-way, triangular with a drawn-out, narrowly linguiform top part, 4-8 by 2.5-5 mm, index 1.3-2.8 (all without artificial spreading); rounded to subacute, margins with an acute angle above the base when the lip is observed in lateral view; thick; adaxially moderately concave and with two rather distinct, proximally diverging, rather thin ridges over most of its length, convex towards the tip; abaxially with a retuse ridge over most of its length, top part c. convex. Column 3-6 mm long, c. straight in profile, stigma without teeth at the base; column foot without ridges. Stelidia porrect, triangular, 0.8-2 mm long, rounded to subacute, lower margin with a deltoid, rounded wing in the proximal half of the column. (After Vermeulen, ms.)

Colours:

Sepals and petals cream coloured, lateral sepals yellowish along the lower margin and suffused red towards the tip. Median seapl and petals with red spots; lateral sepals with red spots only along the upper margin. Lip yellowish. Flowers with a strong, sweet or spicy scent.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland forest; 60-1150 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines), Thailand, Cambodia, ?Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Solomon Islands.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map

Distribution map of Bulbophyllum macranthum

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.

References:

Smith, J.J., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 9 (1913) 91description
Vermeulen, J.J., Orchid. Borneo 2 (1991) 263, fig. 92, pl. 18Bplant figured is a different, closely related species

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Bulbophyllinae
Genus Bulbophyllum
Section Sestochilos
Species Bulbophyllum macranthum