Bulbophyllum pendens J.J.Verm. 2008 SECTION Codonosiphon Schlechter 1913
Photo by © A Schuiteman
TYPE Drawing by © J J Vermeulen and the Research Gate Website
Common Name The Hanging Bulbophyllum [refers tothe plant habit]
Flower Size .16" [4 mm]
Found in western New Guinea in mossy open forests at elevations around 600 meters as a miniature sized, warm, pendent growing epiphyte with a patent to pendent rhizome with .64 to .88" [1.6 to 2.2 cm] between each ovoid pseudobulb carrying a single, apical, pendulous, elliptic, acute, petiolate base leaf that blooms on a porrect, .52" [1.3 cm] long, 2 bracted, single flowered inflorescence with a tubular, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bract.
According to J J Vermuellen this orchid is "among the species of section Codonosiphon with fused lateral sepals (previously distinguished as section Trachychilus Schltr.), B. pendens is the first with a long-pendulous rhizome. Bulbophyllum kusaiense Tuyama, from the Caroline Islands, agrees rather well with B. pendens, and is described as ‘decumbens’. However, the height of the plant is given as 2.4" [6 cm], with the pseudobulbs plus leaves also being around 2.4" [6 cm] high; it must therefore have a very shortly patent rhizome only. It also differs from B. pendens in having triangular petals and a column three times as long as the petals. The flowers of B. pendens are most similar to B. humile Schltr. and B. novahiberniae Schltr., but distinctly smaller (sepals .32" [8 mm] or longer in both these species), and have rhombiform petals."
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI *Nordic Journal of Botany 26: 129195, 2008; New species of Bulbophyllum from eastern Malesia (Orchidaceae) J J Verm 2008 drawing fide
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