Podochilus scalpelliformis Blume 1849 SECTION Podochilus

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of André Schuiteman, Dr. E.F. de Vogel and Jaap Vermeulenand Their Netherlands National Herbarium Website

Common Name or Meaning The Scalpel-Like Podochilus

Flower Size .1" [2mm]

Found in the Moluccas and New Guinea in lowlands in shade at elevations of sealevel to 1000 meters as a miniature to small sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with unbranched stems enveloped completely by imbricating leaf bearing sheaths carrying bilaterally compressed, obtuse to pointed leaves that are gradually smaller towards the apex and blooms at most any time of the year on a lateral to terminal, gradually elongating, 1 to 2 successively flowering at any one time inflorescence.

Very Common in New Guinea in the lowlands and is distinguished by it's bilaterally compressed leaves which is unique with white urn-shaped flowers, there are similar leafed yellow to orange flowered species but they are in the genus Octarrhena.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1912; Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea O'Byrne 1994; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002;

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