Bulbophyllum farciminiferum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel

Vermeulen, Jaap J., Schuiteman, André & De Vogel, Edward F., 2020, Sixteen new species of Bulbophyllum section Polymeres (Orchidaceae) from New Guinea, Lankesteriana 20 (3), pp. 301-330 : 319

Bulbophyllum farciminiferum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel , s p. nov.

( Fig. 12 , 18A )

TYPE: Papua New Guinea, no further data available, Jongejan cult. 1700 (holotype L!).

DIAGNOSIS. Within series C, the species is uniquely characterized by its terete leaves. It differs from Bulbophyllum radula , which has succulent, approx. semi-terete leaves, by its obovate, acuminate (versus ovate-oblong and rounded) petals and its narrower lip (ratio length/width ca. 3.2, versus 1.5–1.8).

Rather small epiphyte with patent, sparsely branched rhizomes to 15 cm long, over which the roots grow towards its base. Rhizome 1.1–1.5 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs to 0.8 cm long, arising from the basal node of the pseudobulb; rhizome scales thin, little persistent. Pseudobulbs distinct, ellipsoid to obovoid, 0.6–0.9 × 0.2–0.3 cm, hardly angular but deeply concave on the side where the new shoot arises. Leaf: petiole 1.3—2.2 mm long; blade succulent, terete with a shallowly concave furrow on the adaxial side, ellipsoid to cylindrical, 12–27 × 2.7–3.2 mm, ratio length/width 4.4–8.4; obtuse to acute. Inflorescences densely clustered from the first node below the pseudobulbs, ca. 1 cm long, 1-flowered. Peduncle ca. 1 mm long, scales 1. Floral bracts ca. 3.3 mm long. Flowers: pedicel plus ovary ca. 2.4 mm long, basal node ca. 1.8 mm above the floral bract attachment. Median sepal free, recurved, ovate, ca. 5.2 × 1.6 mm, ratio length/width 3.2–3.3; acuminate, margins entire, ciliolate, surface glabrous; 3-veined. Lateral sepal s as the median but ca. 5.3 × 1.9 mm, ratio length/width 2.7–2.8. Petals porrect, obovate, ca. 1.5 × 0.6 mm, ratio length/width ca. 2.5; acuminate, margins entire, papillose-ciliate, surface finely papillose distally; 1-veined. Lip straight, oblong, ca. 3.2 × 1.0 mm, ratio length/width ca. 3.2 (without spreading); obtuse, margins entire, vesiculate with elongated vesicles proximally, glabrous distally; thick; adaxially concave close to the base, this cavity distally bordered by two short, converging ridges in front of which the adaxial surface is slightly concave, slightly convex in the distal half of the lip, adaxial surface papillose towards the edges in the proximal half, with larger vesicles close to the edge; abaxially slightly convex and papillose in the proximal half, slightly concave and glabrous elsewhere. Column including stelidia ca. 1.3 mm long, stigma elliptic, foot distally with spreading, rounded lateral teeth. Stelidia somewhat upwards falcate, narrowly triangular, ca. 0.6 mm long, acute. Pollinia 4, the inner more than half as long as the outer.

COLOURS: sepals pale purple, white towards the edges. Petals white. Lip purple, apex green, papillae pale purple, the larger white. Column white.

ETYMOLOGY: farcimen (Latin) = sausage, alluding to the leaf shape.

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY: not known.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Bulbophyllum farciminiferum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel. a. Habit. b. inflorescence. c. Flower analysis, from left to right: median sepal, petal, lateral sepal, lip. d. Petal. e. Petal, detail of margin. f. Lip, left: adaxial side, right: abaxial side.g. Column and lip, lateral view. h. Anther, above: adaxial side, below: abaxial side. i. Pollinia, above: two pairs, below: one pair. Drawn from Jongejan cult. 1700 by © J.J. Vermeulen, from spirit material.

FIGURE 18. New species of Bulbophyllum from New Guinea. A. Bulbophyllum farciminiferum (Jongejan cult. 1700). B. Bulbophyllum nannae (Jongejan cult. 1408); C. Bulbophyllum lipochilum [de Vogel & Vogel (2002) s.n., L alc. 18379]. Photographs by P. Jongejan (A, B) and E.F. de Vogel (C).