Bulbophyllum lepanthiflorum Schltr. 1913 SECTION Lepanthanthe Schlechter 1913

TYPE for the section

Leaf and Flower

Photo courtesy of Wolfgang H. Bandisch. Photo by Peter O' Byrne Copyright © 1998, 1999 All rights reserved. And his Papua & New Guinea Orchid Species site

to EARLY

Common Name The Lepanthes-Like Bulbophyllum

Flower Size 1/4" [6.5 mm]

Found in Papua and New Guinea as a miniature sized, long, pendulous, hot to warm growing epiphyte that grows on mossy branches that hang over rivers or streams at elevations of 200 to 700 meters with cylindric-obovoid, appressed to the rhizome, green pseudobulbs that are enveloped by a triangular bract and carries a single, apical, sub-horizontal, marginally strongly decurved, petiolate, cordate to broadly ovate, obtuse apically leaf that blooms in the winter on a basal, 6 to 10 in a bundle, very short, campanulate inflorescence that holds the few to many [7 to 25], delicate, successive opening flowers held against the pseudobulb with only 1 or two open at a time.

The plant is quite noticable as it is ropelike and the dividing strands hang down sway in the breeze. The upper half of the rope has many roots that can hide the psuedobulbs and the lower half has nut brown to grey bracts that cover the pseudobulbs that give rise to a single cordate leaf which are spiraled around the rope

Synonyms Bulbophyllum lepanthiflorum var. rivulare Schltr. 1913; Lepanthanthe lepanthiflora (Schltr.) Szlach 2007; Bulbophyllum mystrophyllum Schltr. 1919

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913 drawing fide; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913 as Bulbophyllum lepanthiflorum var. rivulare; Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Byrne 1991 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Monographs Vol 7 Vermuellen 1993 drawing fide;

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