Bulbophyllum fritillariflorum J.J.Smith 1912 SECTION Hyalosema Schlechter 1911
Photo by © Richard Ashby and His Orchid Photo Website
Photo courtesy of Wolfgang H. Bandisch. Copyright © 1998, 1999 All rights reserved. And his Papua & New Guinea Orchid Species site
Common Name The Fritillaria-Like [A Lilaceae] Bulbophyllum
Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm] long
Found in Papua and New Guinea in lowland forests on horizontal branches at elevations around 450 meters as a miniature sized, hot growing, mat forming epiphyte with a creeping, branched, terete rhizome giving rise to a basal swelling-like, .56 to .8" [1.4 to 2 cm] between each, oblong-subovoid, 4 to 5 to angled, shiny green pseudobulb carrying a single, erect, ovate, green, underneath opaque, apically rounded, abruptly narrowing below into a rounded, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a slender, basal, pale dirty green, densely dirty purple-striate, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long inflorescence with broad, longitudinal, dirty purple striped floral bracts and holds the flower above the leaves.
This species needs a tree fern mount, hot temperatures, a shady location and ample water to grow well.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913/85; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 photo fide; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 66 No 3 2001 photo; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2001 photo fide; Bulbophyllums and Their Allies Seigerist 2001 photo good; Bulbophyllum: the incomplete Guide From A to why? Bill Thoms 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #5 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #8 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #9 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #2 2017 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 88 #4 2019 photo fide
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