Orchids of New Guinea

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Bulbophyllum maxillare

Bulbophyllum maxillare (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in Walp., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6 (1861) 248

Type: Cuming s.n. (Philippines) (holo K)

Synonyms:

Cirrhopetalum maxillare Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1843) sub t. 49
- Type: Cuming s.n. (Philippines) (holo K)
Phyllorchis maxillaris (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 677
Ephippium ciliatum Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 309; Tab. & Pl. Jav. Orchid. (1825) t. 65
- Type: Blume s.n. (Mt. Salak) (holo L? NOT FOUND)
Bulbophyllum cuspidilingue Rchb.f. in Walp., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6 (1861) 264 (nom. nov.)
Bulbophyllum ephippium Ridl., Mat. Fl. Malay Penins. 1 (1907) 78 (nom. superfl.)
Cirrhopetalum blumei Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 59 ('blumii', nom. illeg.)
Phyllorchis blumei (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 676
Bulbophyllum blumei (Lindl.) J.J.Sm., Orchid. Java (1905) 459
Ephippium ciliatum Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 309; Tab. & Pl. Jav. Orchid. (1825) t. 65
- Type: Blume s.n. (Mt. Salak) (holo L? NOT FOUND)
Bulbophyllum cuspidilingue Rchb.f. in Walp., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6 (1861) 264 (nom. nov.)
Bulbophyllum ephippium Ridl., Mat. Fl. Malay Penins. 1 (1907) 78 (nom. superfl.)
Bulbophyllum masdevalliaceum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34 (1904) 251
- Type: Beccari 486 (holo FI)
Ephippium masdevalliaceum (Kraenzl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 499

Basionym: Cirrhopetalum maxillare

Rhizome 0.2-0.4 cm diam., long creeping, roots 0.1-0.2 cm diam. Pseudobulbs 4-7 cm apart, 1-leaved, narrowly conical to ovoid, curved, 2.5-4.5 by 0.8-1.5 cm, deeply grooved in front. Leaves petiolate; petiole 3 cm long; blade lanceolate, 7-16 by 2-3.3 cm, apex acute, somewhat asymmetrical, often deflexed. Inflorescences arising near the base of the pseudobulb or sometimes from a node of the rhizome, 1-flowered, very slender, erect; peduncle c. 12-16 cm long, peduncle-scales 3 at base, one higher up. Floral bract 0.5 cm long. Ovary 1 cm long. Flower 6-10 cm long, often held in an almost horizontal position. Median sepal from an oblong base tapering to the apex, with inrolled margins, 3.2-3.4 by 0.5-0.7 cm, margins densely denticulate-ciliate, apex acuminate. Lateral sepals falcate, from an obliquely oblong base abruptly tapering to a terete tail in apical half, 4-7 by 0.7-1 cm, glabrous. Petals falcate, obliquely oblong, constricted along the lower margin, 0.5 by 0.2-0.3 cm, with scattered hairs along the lower margin, apex acute; the petals held like a hood over the column. Lip in the basal 0.2 cm dilated, 0.3 cm wide, obliquely ovate in lateral view, abruptly tapering to the 0.6-0.7 cm long antenna-like apical part; basal part with raised, verrucose margins; mobile. Column 0.3 cm long; stelidia narrow, pointed; column-foot strongly incurved, 0.3 cm long. (After O'Byrne, 1994 [as B. blumei] and Van Bodegom, 1973).

Colours:

Median sepal red-purple with 5 darker veins and white margins. Lateral sepals red purple with a broader or narrower white or (orange-)yellow band along the margins. Petals translucent white or pinkish with dark purple spots. Lip in the basal part red or purple with blackish spots, the tail white or yellow with orange or red tip. Rarely the whole flower cream-coloured.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in forest; 0-2700 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, Philippines), Solomon Islands.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea; see map

Distribution of Bulbophyllum maxillare in New Guinea

Flowering time in the wild:

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

References:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 459, as Bulbophyllum blumei (Lindl.) J.J.Sm.
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1911) fig. 351, as Bulbophyllum blumei (Lindl.) J.J.Sm.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1913) 777, as Bulbophyllum masdevalliaceum Kraenzl.
Smith, J.J., Nova Guinea 12, 4 (1916) 375, as Bulbophyllum masdevalliaceum Kraenzl.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1928) t. 260, fig. 991, as Bulbophyllum masdevalliaceum Kraenzl.
Vermeulen, J.J., Orchid. Borneo 2 (1991) 113, fig. 36, pl. 9B, as Bulbophyllum blumei (Lindl.) J.J.Sm.
O'Byrne, P., Lowland Orchid. Papua New Guinea (1994) 422, fig., as Bulbophyllum blumei (Lindl.) J.J.Sm.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Bulbophyllinae
Genus Bulbophyllum
Section Polymeres
Species Bulbophyllum maxillare