Hippeophyllum microphyllum, a New Species of Orchidaceae from Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Plants epiphytic, glabrous; rhizome elongate, creeping, 3-6 cm long, 1-1.5 mm diam., remotely noded; sheaths membranous, translucent, cylindric, 2 mm long; roots 2 or 3 at the bottom of each equitant-leaved stem; stems 5-10(-15) mm apart, 1-1.5 cm long, 4to 6-leaved. Leaves laterally compressed, equitant, subfalcate-linear, 1-3 cm x 1.5-2 mm, light green, long-acuminate at apex, broadly membranous-margined toward the base, obscurely articulate. Scape 3-4.5 cm long, terminating in a many-flowered raceme; peduncle 2-3 mm long; bracts linear, membranous, translucent, 0.8 x 0.2 mm; pedicel with ovary 0.5 mm long, not resupinate. Flowers ca. 0.8 mm across, red; sepals broadly ovate-elliptic, 0.5 x 0.4 mm, obtuse; petals narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 0.5 x 0.2 mm, acuminate, irregularly serrate at the margin; lip broadly ovate-oblong in outline, 0.45 X 0.4 mm, constricted near the middle and bilobed at apex, forming two basal auricles and two apical lobes; auricles and lobes erose at the margins; column ca. 0.1 mm long, dilated at apex. Capsule ellipsoid, 2 x 1.7 mm.