Cleisostoma brachystachys (Ridl.) Garay 1972 SECTION Cleisostoma

Photo by © Art Vogel

Part Shade Hot

Common Name The Short Spiked Cleisostoma

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found only in Sabah and Sarawak Borneo in lowland forests at unknown elevations as a miniature sized, hot growing epiphyte with a descending, slightly compressed stem carrying 8 to 11, in 2 opposite rows, spreading, stiff, leathery, dark green to rather blue green, linear-lanceolate, unequally obtusely bilobed apically and are conduplicate below into the clasping base leaves that blooms on several, axillary, pendant, dark green with maroon marks, 1" to 2" [2.5 to 5cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with 2 to 3, large, tough bracts at the base and ovate, brown floral bracts carrying 1 to 8 branches carrying 12 to 24 flowers each with about half open at once.

CAUTION! because of the picture angle I can only assume that it is the actual C brachystachys. What is visible leads me to the conclusion that it is possible tthat it could be this species. Very similar to C suaveolens and differing in the lip foldover apex and in the coloration of the tepals as well as C brachystachys has a much rounder, fuller spur, and a short racemose inflorescence that have the flowers held close to the leaves. C suaveolens has a thinner, more pointed spur and is a much larger plant with a branched inflorescence that holds the flowers well away from the leaf axils.

Synonyms Cleisostoma auriculatum (Rolfe) Garay 1972; Cleisostoma termissum (Rchb.f.) Garay 1972; Gastrochilus rostellatus (Hook.f.) Kuntze 1891; Saccolabium brachystachys Ridl. 1908; Saccolabium rostellatum Hkr.f 1890; Sarcanthus angkorensis Guillaum. 1930; Sarcanthus auriculatus Rolfe 1895; Sarcanthus discolor [Lindl.] J.J.Sm. 1912; Sarcanthus josephii J.J.Sm. 1913; Saracanthus macrodon Rchb. f 1872; Sarcanthus termissus Rchb.f. 1860

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; Orchids of Sarawak Beeman, Wood & Beaman etal 2001; Malesian Orchid Journal Vol 4 2009 drawing/photo fide The Orchids of Mount Kinabalu Vol 2 Wood, Beaman, Lamb, Chu Lun and Beaman 2011 drawing/photo good;

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